The Girl Who Loved a Monster
by Metal Overlord 2.0
Summary: For most normal people, true love can be found in places like the Internet, work, parties, etc. Raven, as we all know, is far from normal. So is it really that surprising that she finds her special someone in a place like a corpse filled tomb in Japan?
1. Chapter 1

The Girl Who Loved a Monster By Metal Overlord 2.0

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or any related characters. However Zeruge is my OC and as such is my property. If anyone would like to use him in a fanfic-related project of their own they should consult with me first. Now that the legal stuff has been put out of the way on with the show!

_"Help me, please help me." The voice called out of the darkness. Aside from that single pleading voice, the voice that had been haunting Raven's dreams for weeks, no other sound reached her ears. Night after night the dream remained exactly the same: a voice, broken and pleading, calling to Raven from the darkness begging for her to help her. The darkness around her resonated with the voice's mournful pleas making it seem to come from all around her. _

"_Who are you? Why are you calling me?" Raven asked. But the darkness gave her no answer. This was really starting to annoy Raven. "How can I possibly help you If I don't even know who you are? Why should I even help you at all?" she demanded. Again silence. She knew it was pointless. In all the dreams she had never gotten, and probably never would get, an answer. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her._

_"Well, whoever you are, stop wasting my time, I have better things to do than stand here wasting my time listening to some disembodied voice." She said with an air of indifference and annoyance to the darkness. Just as she turned to leave the voice spoke to her again. This time she thought she could detect an edge of despair. "Please. I-I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to be here in the dark. Please help me, you're the only one who knows how." It said solemnly in barely more than a whisper. _

That stopped her cold. While Raven may have seemed cold and indifferent at times she wasn't heartless. And truth be told the voice's words struck a chord in her own heart, unpleasant memories of times when she had felt similar feelings of despair and misery stirred causing a faint twinge of sympathy for whoever it was who was asking for her help. Could she really turn her back on whoever was calling her? Especially if they were suffering as much as they sounded like they were. Before she could answer she felt herself waking up.

Raven woke with a start, clinging to her sheets tightly. After getting her breathing under control she lay back down. Glancing at her clock she saw that it was only 3:12 am. The others were probably still asleep. Unlike them Raven had not been getting enough sleep ever since these stupid dreams had started and it was really starting to wear her down. "If I don't get some sleep I'm going to lose it completely. God, I hope Beast Boy isn't going to pull another one of his stupid pranks today, I'm just not in the mood". She said to no one in particular. Some time later Raven began to doze off. Once more the darkness surrounded her and with it the voice.

_"Help me. Please, help me" the voice said just as it had always whenever she fell asleep. Driven partly by her conscience as well as the urge to just answer the voice so it would quit bugging her Raven sighed and spoke into the shadows. "I don't know if you can hear me but I want to help." Raven said to the voice wondering if she would even get a response. Part of her still believed this was a figment of her imagination. "The problem is, I don't know where you are or even if I can trust you." She said. _

_With that her thought's turned briefly to Malchior and couldn't help but wonder if this was his doing. The last thing she needed was to be strung along and then stabbed in the back again the way that two-faced dragon had. Raven didn't know if she could ever get over that horrible ordeal. She had trusted Malchior with her heart and soul drawn to his promises of no longer being alone. And he had betrayed her. Had used her and cast her aside like a piece of trash. Or maybe this was her father, Trigon's work, some ploy to lull her into releasing him before she was supposedly prophesied to. And in doing so dooming the entire world to suffer by his hand for all of eternity. Neither one of the scenarios were particularly appealing to her._

_Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the voice as it spoke again but what it said next genuinely surprised her. "I understand that you don't trust me. If you knew who, no what, I am or the things I had done you'd probably leave me here to rot. I don't know if anyone could ever trust me being what I have become. I have done horrible things that I am forced to relive every second that I dwell here in this place. Every day I have to fight with everything I have to keep my growing madness at bay. I'm asking, no I'm begging you. Will you help me?" It said and then fell silent. The darkness around her seemed to thicken pressing in from all sides as though the shadows themselves were awaiting her answer._

_Raven stood there in the dark letting the words that the voice had said sink in. There was no way to fake the sorrow she had heard in that voice. It was neither a veiled command nor an empty promise, merely the pained pleas of some wretched being who needed her aid. Taking a deep breath she replied quietly. "Yes, I will help you." For a moment there was silence. Then Raven began to hear a noise she couldn't identify at first but then realized that the voice was crying. For a terrible moment she thought that she had responded too late and that the owner of the voice had finally snapped. But then the voice spoke again this time she could feel a sense of hope in it, a sense of joy._

"_Thank you, thank you. You have no idea how…well, happy, you've made me. It's funny really, I didn't think I'd ever feel joy again." As it said this Raven couldn't help but smile just a little at the joy she could sense in the voice. He sounds just like a little kid who found out he can go outside and play she thought to herself. Then a thought came to her making her blink in realization. "Um, how exactly am I supposed to find you? You really haven't told me where exactly you are." She said. _

_When the voice spoke again Raven swore that she could hear an air of sheepishness in it. "Oh, I apologize for that. It's been so long since I have spoken to anyone that I got a little off track. If you travel to Japan you will find me two hundred kilometers southwest of Kyoto. Look for a tomb with a symbol of a serpent swallowing its tail on the doorway. That's the symbol that was used by my…former master." When it said the words 'former master' Raven thought she could sense a touch of bitterness. " I must warn you. The tomb will be guarded. When I was sealed away in this tomb my captors took steps to ensure that I never see the light of day. I know what I ask is great and I also understand that you have your own life to live. I won't force you to help me if you don't wish. I do wish to be free, but not if it meant someone else losing their life in the attempt". _

_Although Raven wouldn't admit it she was somewhat touched that this person was worried about her safety. It felt kind of nice. Suddenly Raven heard another voice and recognized the energetic banter as Starfire. "Friend Raven, friend Raven please wake up it is time for breakfast. Friend Raven?" She said with a little concern. "It would seem you are being summoned by one of your friends. Very well I won't take anymore of your time. Until we meet in person farewell." The voice said growing fainter. "Wait! Could you at least tell me your name? Hello?" Raven shouted. Just before she woke up Raven heard a single word whispered from the waning shadows. "Zeruge"._

With a great degree of difficulty Raven managed to untangle herself from the knot of covers she had wrapped herself up in as she had been asleep. Throwing her blue cloak over her she opened the door to the sight of her teammate Starfire. The red-haired alien floated there breaking into a large smile at the sight of her friend. "Morning Starfire is Cyborg up? I need to talk to him about something." She said sleepily. Starfire nodded. Aside from her green eyes, Starfire looked no different from any other person on Earth. Well except when she was in a fight. The sight of her flying around, lifting objects dozens of times her own weight, and blasting opponents with her starbolts was a pretty big clue that she wasn't human. In truth she was a princess of the planet Tamaran who had come to live with the Titans in order to learn the ways of Earth folk. Well, that and have a less-than-subtle-crush on Robin who was the official leader of the team. Starfire's cheerful attitude and optimistic personality made her a very enjoyable member of the team, although her cooking skills were a thing to be greatly feared.

"He is in the living room playing on the station of games with Beast-Boy. I believe he will be done shortly." She said pointing down the hall. "Thanks, I think I'll make myself some tea while I wait. I'm a little burned out from last night." Raven replied suppressing a yawn. She walked along the hallway until she came into the living room. As usual Cyborg and Beast-Boy were on the couch their attention focused on their videogame. For the life of her Raven could never figure out what those two saw in those games. She personally enjoyed quieter ways to amuse herself such as books and the occasional movie. She sat down in a corner after making herself a cup of her favorite herbal tea and waited for Cyborg to finish his game with Beast-Boy.

While she waited Raven reflected on the name the dream voice had said it's name was. What kind of name was Zeruge? It wasn't exactly the kind of name you'd expect a parent in their right mind to name their child. On the other hand neither was Cyborg, Robin, or Beast-Boy. It sounded like a demon name. With that thought a horrible suspicion flooded her. What if it was a demon? A grim image formed of her opening a doorway and finding it occupied by some horrific beast. She imagined it leering at her mockingly repeating its previous pleas for help as it tore her apart. With her spectacularly crappy judgment of people she wouldn't be surprised.

But even as Raven wrestled with this idea her instincts began to doubt that was the case. If this 'Zeruge' really was evil, then why warn her about the danger knowing that it would be powerless to stop her if she walked away? Raven supposed it could have just been an act of stupidity on Zeruge's part or maybe an act of deception but she wasn't sure. There had been honesty in that voice that couldn't be faked. Whoever Zeruge was it wasn't evil. At least not anymore she thought recalling what it had said. _If you knew who, no what I was you'd probably leave me here to rot_ it had said. "So, it's basically a choice between risking life and limb to come to the aid of some mysterious disembodied voice halfway across the world. Or I could just stay home with the guys and enjoy a thrilling routine of meditation, brooding, drinking tea and more brooding."Raven pondered quietly to herself raising her cup of tea to her lips.

One deafening call of 'BOO-YAHH!' later a royally aggravated Raven was swearing in her native Azerathian tongue trying to wring hot tea out of her now-soaked leotard. Meanwhile Cyborg continuedgloating over his latest victory over Beast-Boy, who, having been trounced yet again, was now slumped on the couch groaning in defeat. "You know, Japan's looking reeaall nice right about now." Raven grumbled managing to keep her sudden urge to turn Cyborg into a hood ornament under control. As much as Raven wanted to wring Cyborg's neck for making her waste a perfectly good cup of tea, not to mention her leotard AND her cloak, neither of which was easy to wash, Raven managed to calm herself before she blew something up. If she wanted to use Cyborg's ship to get to Japan she had to be nice to him, and the last time she checked throttling people wasn't a great way to get on their good side. Seeing her chance Raven went over to Cyborg as he grabbed a soda out of the fridge. "Morning Cyborg, hey, I know this is going to sound kind of weird but can I borrow the ship for a while?" Raven asked.

Cyborg turned around and gave Raven the same look that a parent might give a child asking for the keys to their car. "Huh? What for?" He asked her a little suspiciously. By far the largest member of the Titans Cyborg was a tall African-American teen athlete who had been modified with a number of cybernetic limbs and weapons following a freak accident. His sheer strength combined with his wide arsenal of weaponry including missile launchers, lasers and a sonic cannon built into each arm made him an invaluable addition to the team, not to mention he was a crack mechanic having developed all of the Titan's weapons and vehicles. "It won't be too long. I just need it for a while I'll have it back before dark I promise." She said anxious to leave as soon as possible. Cyborg still looked uncertain. He valued his ship almost as much as he loved his car, which was saying something since the two were practically inseparable.

"Awww c'mon Cy. It's not like she's going to wreck it or anything. She is pretty good at flying the ship." Beast-Boy said butting into the conversation. The green-skinned changeling was in a sense the comic relief of the Titans. When he wasn't perfecting his latest prank or getting into mischief, which was often the young teen could be quite effective in a pinch. His ability to shape shift into any animal gave him a wide arsenal of tactics ranging from stealth in smaller forms like insects or birds, to frontal assaults with forms like Rhino, Grizzly, Elephant and his ace card, T-Rex.

With a sigh Cyborg tossed Raven the keys to the ship. "Okay, okay just don't scratch it okay? I just waxed it yesterday." He told her sitting back down and reaching for the controller. "Thanks" She said quickly. Raven decided to book it to the ship before Starfire showed up wanting to do 'the girl talk' as she put it. Climbing into the cockpit of the sleek orange spaceship that also doubled as a submarine she fired up the controls. Although she was a good pilot Raven decided to put the ship on auto-pilot after punching in the coordinates she had received from Zeruge's instructions. Before take-off she considered asking the others for help but decided against it. Whatever she encountered in Japan she could handle it on her own.

As the ship flew Raven fell asleep. To her surprise the voice was no longer calling her. Either it knew she was coming or it was no longer able to communicate. Raven hoped the latter wasn't the case. Despite her doubts and suspicions about Zeruge he didn't seem like a bad person. After a few hours the ship reached the outskirts of Japan (an impressive feat to say the least since the Titans HQ was in America!). Waking up from her nap Raven took the controls and began to zero in on the coordinates. Now that she was actually here Raven started looking around for anything that might be considered a tomb. As she cleared a peak of trees she saw something off in the distance. As she flew closer Raven couldn't help but gape at what she saw.

The 'tomb' was in reality an enormous Mausoleum. At least the size of a large house it was covered in small pieces of paper. As Zeruge had said the door to the tomb was marked by a mammoth inscription of a serpent swallowing its tail. The crumbling walls of the tomb were riddled with cracks and fissures. "Nice place. Real cheerful." Raven thought sarcastically. Setting down the ship nearby in a clearing Raven stepped out and stopped for a moment looking at the land around her. Normally the area should have been lush with trees and vegetation as well as being populated by wildlife. Instead only a barren, parched ring of dead grass surrounded the tomb. The ground seemed to be littered with some kind of black powder suffocating the plant life leaving only a few withered trees which were gnarled and deformed their twisted branches reaching skyward resembling the grasping withered hands of a witch.

Kneeling down Raven took a pinch of the black powder between her fingers and sniffing at it. Immediately she recoiled from the foul stench that the powder seemed to give off. "If I didn't know better I'd swear this was…brimstone? But what would brimstone be doing here?" It didn't add up but deep down an uneasy feeling was beginning to coil in her gut. Something had tainted this land, something powerful and very wicked, she could taste it in the air. But for an aura to remain in a place for so long meant that whatever had made it had been incredibly strong. Disturbed by this thought Raven tried to put her troubling thoughts behind her focusing on the tomb itself. Now that she was able to examine them the pieces of paper she had seen were in fact talismans. Thousands of them covered the tomb except for the doorway which was untouched.

The uneasiness in her only intensified at the presence of these talismans. These seals had been made at the expense of a person's life in order to contain whatever was inside the temple. For so many people to sacrifice their lives to power these talismans it must have been of the greatest importance to keep whatever was in there locked up. "What kind of creature could be so strong as to require such powerful magic?" Raven wondered not sure if she really wanted to find out. Briefly her thoughts returned to the image she had woven about unleashing some horrible monster. While it had seemed an unlikely fantasy at the time, the sight of such desperate steps of containment was slowly given her previous fear form and substance.

Still, Raven couldn't take the risk of abandoning Zeruge. She would never live with herself if she later found out that it had been telling her the truth only to be left behind because of her fears and doubts. With an effort she gathered her courage and approached the door. Seeing no handle or keyhole anywhere on the door Raven decided to try to lift it. Concentrating Raven began to chant the incantation she had used so many times throughout the course of her life. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" She chanted. Focusing her power Raven enveloped the huge door in dark energy and began to lift. To her surprise the door began to rise into a slot set above the entrance.

Suddenly a searing pain tore through Raven nearly breaking her concentration. Opening her eyes she saw arks of white lightning emerging from the talismans in an attempt to stop her from opening the tomb. As hard as she could, Raven tried to block out the pain and focus solely on the door. As it moved upwards more and more lightning erupted from the seals making it almost unbearable. With a final effort Raven put all of her strength into the door and it completely opened. Almost reluctantly the talismans ceased their attack. Raven stood in the doorway panting from the effort. "When Zeruge said the tomb was guarded he wasn't kidding. I haven't even entered the place and I'm already exhausted."

Now that the door was open Raven peered inside. The tomb's entire interior was shrouded in darkness. A smell of stale air drifted out along with the sickeningly sweet smell of decay. Taking a few steps inside Raven began to make out mounds of small, unidentifiable objects scattered throughout the tomb. As her eyes adjusted to the dark a chill ran up her spine as she saw that the mounds were composed of bones. Hundreds of them lay scattered across the floor all in various stages of decomposition. Lining the walls was a collection of ancient weapons ranging from axes, swords, hammers, and spears to things Raven couldn't even begin to guess were for and frankly didn't want to.

As she stared at the vast array of weapons a loud grinding noise pierced the silence. Whirling around Raven saw the door suddenly slam shut like a guillotine blade. For a moment she was blind fumbling around in the dark trying not to panic. Then a pair of torches blazed to life with green flames flooding the tomb in sickly green light. Reaching the far side of the tomb Raven saw something on the wall. It was partially concealed by the shadows cast by the torches but she thought she could make out a vague man-sized outline. Then a second pair of torches lit revealing the object in gruesome clarity. Now, Raven was about as tough as they come having seen things along the course of her life that would makemost people's hair turn white. But even she had tobite back a scream at the sight of the…_thing_ chained to the wall.

Hanging from the wall was a large armored corpse bound in chains. Its face was covered by a mask made of silver that was featureless save for two deep cavernous eyeholes and a mark on the forehead identical to the image on the tomb's door. The body was encased in a suit of armor that was seemingly made from solid obsidian fashioned in the style of traditional samurai armor. Hundreds of chains wrapped around it leaving it hanging from the wall by its arms as if it had been crucified. Its hands hung limp as rags each covered with a large metal gauntlet ending in clawed fingers like the talons of a bird of prey. It had obviously been here for ages as a mass of cobwebs and dust wove through it's limbs like a thick shroud. Raven hadn't known what to expect to find at the tomb, but it certainly hadn't been this. For all intents and purposes it seemed like the tomb's sole purpose had been to guard this body.

As Raven examined the corpse she spied a piece of paper yellow torn and faded from age stuck to it's chest. Hesitantly Raven plucked it from it's resting place blowing off a cloud of ancient dust making her eyes water a little. At first glance it looked similar to the talismans outside but on closer inspection it appeared to be written in an ancient dialect. Deciphered the paper read:

_Here sleeps the demon Zeruge, damned to this place for all time._

_Only through the blood of a witch will he walk among the living once more_

_Neither good nor evil he waits in suffering for the dark angel to free him from his pain._

_A warrior by heart he is bound to the will of his master, the demon Orochimaru._

_Should he again serve at his master's side the world will be cast into shadow._

_But with the aid of five great warriors and the love of the daughter of darkness he shall regain his lost honor and restore balance to the world._

For a long time Raven simply stood there in shock. She never would have believed that the motionless corpse in front of her was the same person who had spoken to her these past few weeks if it were not for the paper in her trembling hand. "Could this really be Zeruge? Wait, dark angel? It couldn't be referring to me, could it?" She wondered. Raven couldn't help but hope this wasn't the case. There were more than enough prophecies floating around involving her as it is, none of which were particularly pleasant. After reading the paper she wondered if this really was one of her father's tricks, but the strange symbol on the mask disproved that theory. Trigon was an egomaniac who seemed to have a compulsive urge to put his symbol, a fiery red 'S', on everything he either made, owned or destroyed, it was kind of his trademark logo. But the symbol on the figure's mask was of a completely different design. "Does this mean my father wasn't the only demon lord in existence?" Raven wondered aloud. Before she could speculate any further a whistling sound came to her ears. She ducked just in time to dodge a spear now imbedded in the wall where she had been standing a few seconds ago.

Raven turned to see that the various bones were pulling together into a dozen skeletal warriors. As soon as they formed they began to remove weapons from the walls and advanced their intention all too clear. "Oooh, scary, murderous skeleton warriors. Like that's really going to- Raven started to say before a skeleton leapt at her with astonishing speed swinging a katana overhead in a deadly arc. Rolling to the side Raven saw another skeleton lunge at her before the first skeleton's blade struck the floor with a clang this one thrusting a knife at her.

This time she blocked it with a shield of black magic retaliating with a fierce energy bolt reducing the undead soldier to dust. Before Raven could stop to draw a breath two more of the skeletons charged her one with a large axe while the other aimed a rusty spear at her heart. Spotting a skeleton armed with a huge hammer she grabbed it and flung the skeleton at the other two all three smashing together with a crunch. Despite the damage she was doing Raven knew she was in trouble. The skeletons were relentless in their attack one after the other lashing out with unbelievable speed and strength. Soon the remaining eight had backed her up against the wall where Zeruge's body hung.

"I hope that text didn't mean I had to die to wake Zeruge up. Because that's gonna be a serious possibility if I don't get out of here." She said trying to figure out which skeleton would attack next. She got her answer when the second from the right flung a dagger at her. Raven managed to block it not seeing the skeleton with the katana attack her until it was too late. Raven screamed in pain as the sword pierced through her shoulder and into Zeruge's chest pinning her against his body like a butterfly on display. Before she could say a spell the skeleton's bony hand clamped over her mouth preventing her from fighting back. Raven's breaths came in short shallow gasps as blood began to trickle down her cloak staining it red. She watched helplessly as the skeleton let go of the katana embedded in her and grabbing another one from a nearby soldier. Lifting it over it's head it brought it down for the killing blow. Raven closed her eyes waiting for the end.

Suddenly an armored claw lunged forward grabbing her would-be executioner by the skull. Turning her head Raven's eyes widened at the sight of the body stir. The head rose up and a low croaking voice emerged from deep within the mask. "Leave her alone". With that it slammed the skeleton against the wall next to it the brittle skull erupting into a powder of crushed bone. Dropping the skeleton it grasped the handle of the sword and gently slid it out of Raven's shoulder. Dropping to the ground Raven watched in amazement as the body tore its other arm out from the wall the chains snapping like twigs. It fell in a heap on the floor of the tomb. As it rose shakily to its feet the chains slid off with a thunderous racket. For a moment it stood there a haggard wheezing coming from the body. Then with a crack it broke the mask with its fist revealing its face.

The creature had dark gray skin and pointed ears. A mat of filthy black hair covered its scalp coated with dust. But what really drew Raven's attention were the eyes. Large and bright the eyes were completely yellow except for black pupils in the form of slits reminding her of cat eyes. For a second its eyes locked on to Raven's a mixture of surprise and curiosity on its face. Raven had never seen such fascinating eyes and for a moment she could only lie there in silence. Then a fresh stab of pain forced her to clutch her injured shoulder. Its gaze turned to her bloodstained shoulder and its curiosity changed to concern. Kneeling down it removed her hand from her shoulder examining the wound carefully. Placing its hand on her wound it closed its eyes and started to glow with black energy. Gradually the pain faded to a dull ache. When it removed its hand Raven saw to her astonishment that the wound had fully healed.

Turning to thank the demon Raven watched in shock as it began to lap up the blood that had gotten on its gauntlet. A long tongue slid out licking the metal clean of her blood with the manner of a feline cleaning itself. In a flash the meaning of the message was realized. In order to be freed Raven had to use her own blood to reanimate him. That was why he had called her, because of her demon blood! Stunned by the realization Raven simply lay on the ground as the demon finished its meal. "Zeruge?" she whispered in disbelief. His ears twitching at the name the demon turned to her blood still on its face. Despite his fearsome appearance Raven wasn't afraid of him for some reason. He nodded at her his eyes looking at her with a strange intensity. "Are you the one who released me?" He asked her quietly his voice a low purr. When she nodded Zeruge wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, how can I ever repay you?" He said his voice overflowing with emotion.

Raven was too thunderstruck to respond. This was about the last thing she would have expected Zeruge to do in her weakened state. Eat her? Most likely. Maim her? Maybe. But HUG her? That she hadn't seen coming. Normally Raven's first impulse would have been to blast anyone who would dare to lay a hand on her to another dimension but the utter surreality of her situation, not to mention her weakness from massive blood loss, was screwing with her thought process more than a little. So all she could do was lay there while a creature that by all rights should have been snacking on her mangled corpse was holding her in his arms and treating her like she was his savior.

Perhaps sensing her discomfort he released his grip on her rising to his feet. "Umm, sorry about that. It's been ages since I've seen another living creature, I guess I should be lucky that the first person I see in a couple hundred years should be such a lovely young lady." He said with a grin. At this Raven couldn't help but blush a little. "But I believe I'm getting ahead of myself. Allow me to properly introduce myself I am Zeruge the demon swordsman, at your service. Might I inquire the name of my rescuer?" He asked arching an eyebrow. "Raven my name is Raven. I'm not really the one who freed you. I mean, I did kind of but it was sort of an accident." She mumbled wishing he wouldn't stare at her like that. Something wierd was going on in her head at the moment. Murky feelings she hadn't felt since the incident with Malchior were starting to bubble to the surface. If Raven didn't know any better she would have sworn she was starting to grow..._fond o_f this guy?

"Ahh, Raven is it? I like that name, very alluring. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you Raven. Although I can't help but wish it was under better circumstances. As for freeing me, I believe this is proof of your part in my awakening." With that he removed the armor surrounding his chest revealing a highly muscled frame that Raven couldn't help but stare at. Noticing her rapt attention to his muscular figure Zeruge cracked a wry grin. "Although I'm flattered by your staring I was in fact referring to this." He said gesturing to a spot on his left bicep. Raven saw a deep wound over his heart that was fairly recent. "You see, when that skeleton stabbed you the blade managed to pierce my armor and buried itself in my heart. When your blood on the blade entered my body I was able to awaken from my state of hibernation." He explained.

At the mention of the skeletons Raven saw past Zeruge and saw them about to attack again. "GET DOWN!" She yelled as a skeleton wielding a club leapt at Zeruge.The demon warriorinsticntively dropped flat to the ground while Raven used what power she could muster to blast teh skeleton to bits with a blast of dark magic. Zeruge whistled in admiration eyeing her handiwork. "Wow, well that explains how you got in here at least. But you better let me handle the rest of these guys. Your wound may be healed but your still weak from loss of blood and I wouldn't want to have you get hurt." He told her putting himself between Raven and the seven remaining skeletons. Raven was about to reply with a comment about how she could take care of herself and she didn't need someone to babysit her when a dizzy spell overtook her making her head swim a little.

"Ugh, maybe I should sit this one out after all. Okay fine, but you better not get yourself killed after all of the crap I went through to wake you up or I swear I'll bring you back to life just so I can kick your ass all over again." She said trying to sound as menacing as possible. Zeruge flashed a toothy grin. "Yes ma'am. In that case I suggest you sit back and enjoy the show." He said with a dramatic bow.With a growl Zeruge archedhis back while a large pair of leathery bat like wings sprouted then swept outward grandly. Stopping for a moment Zeruge paused to scratch the tip of his left wing. "Its about time I got that blasted itch. Any longer an I'd really had a reason to go crazy." He muttered in annoyance. He lifted his claws into the air and in a blast of flames two of the nastiest looking blades Raven had ever seen appeared in his hands. The swords were large and razor edged having a flowing curved design making them appear to have been forged from black liquid steel. They were every bit as beautiful as they were deadly.

With a roar Zeruge charged directly into the ranks of skeletons scattering them like bowling pins. Raven watched in awe as he flitted about his blades flashing in the green torchlight like twinkling stars. The skeletons were skilled fighters but were vastly outclassed by the ancient warrior. One of the skeletons shot an arrow at him the tip burying itself in his neck. With a snarl of pain and rage Zeruge grabbed the skeleton and delivered a savage head-butt caving its skull in like a piece of glass. A skeleton wielding two katanas lunged at Raven in an attempt to kill at least one of the intruders. Zeruge saw this and teleported in a flicker reappearing in front of Raven. With an air of casual ferocity he snapped the skeletons arms off and ran it through with his blades three times before ripping it in half.

Finally only three skeletons remained. Zeruge began to channel his energy into his gauntlets, which suddenly erupted into flames. Putting all of his remaining energy into the attack Zeruge incinerated the skeletons with an enormous blast of fire. The force of the attack obliterated the front of the tomb creating a gaping hole into which the setting sun shone through. Zeruge stood there for a minute or two relishing the feeling of blessed freedom. After centuries of imprisonment the feeling of the sun on his skin and the wind in his hair was pure bliss. He had almost forgotten how beautiful the sky was at this time of day. Turning aroundand made his way back to Raven who was still stunned by Zeruge's power. "Can you walk Raven?" Zeruge asked yanking the arrow out of his neck.

The question snapped Raven out of her daze."Umm, I think so." She said still a little stunnedafter Zeruge's little demonstration of his powers. Hell even Starfire would have had a tough time blasting down that wall but Zeruge had blown it to bits without even breaking a sweat. Zeruge nodded seemingly relieved. "Good I was a little worried for a second. That was a nasty wound you were given and even with my healing powers I was unsure if you were..."Zeruge started to say before he let out a large yawn showing off his fangs. "Are you alright?" She asked him. Zeruge picked up the arrow that had hit him and examined the tip carefully. A dark liquid was covering the end that had an unpleasant odor. With a sigh he dropped it on the ground. "Oh dear. It would seem that arrow was laced with a particularly lethal poison." He said like it was only a minor problem.

"Poison!" Raven said with alarm in her voice. Thinking that Zeruge was about to keel over she dragged herself to her feet as quickly as she could stmbling in the process. Reaching out Zeruge managed to catch her. For a second the two locked eyes as he held her once more in her arms. Raven couldn't help but notice how soft and gentle his grip was. Their faces were only inches apart and she could smell his scent, a kind of strange musky smell she found oddly pleasant. His eyes were like deep pools of honey she could lose herself in for hours. Realizing she was admiring him Raven suddenly tried to wriggle out of his grasp out of both embarrassment and so that she could get to the T-ship and get the medical pack inside. "Easy Raven, your still a little woozy." He said soothingly trying to keep her under control.

"But, but you just said you were poisoned! Don't you think we shoulddo something before you, I don't know, DIE!" She said irritated at his apparrent stupidity. Realizing why she was acting so worried Zeruge waved his hand dissmissively. "Ohthat! There'snothing to be worried about Raven. Poison doesn't affect demons the way it does regular people. All it does is make us very (yawn) sleepy…." He trailed off as he suddenly fell asleep leaning on her. Grumbling about how messed up the day had been Raven managed to get Zeruge into the cockpit next to her without too much difficulty. Typing in the coordinates for Jump City she settled in next to Zeruge with a sigh. "What am I going to do with you Zeruge?" She wondered aloud looking at the sleeping demon.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the first chapter in my fanfic. Keep in mind that this is my first fanfic so if you must criticize use constructive criticism. I know my grammer may need a little work here and there but I'm still getting used to all the bells and whistles of this site so go easy on me.I would like some feedbackplease so if you have the time to read this I would appreciate it if you couldreview this okay? I shouldget the next chapter on here really soon so until then. Oh, and I apologize for not putting Robin in here. He will be in the next chapter I promise. Tata for now!


	2. Chapter 2

The Girl Who Loved a Monster

By Metal Overlord 2.0

Hello again! I want to thank everyone who read my first chapter. I wrote this story because partly I wanted to test out my OC Zeruge in a piece of writing. Another reason was because I felt that Raven didn't really have anyone of her own (Beast-Boy to me seems to be more of a friend while Cyborg had the whole 'big brother' thing going, and Robin? Yeah right, Starfire would kill him!) So I decided to try my hand at a little romance. But don't worry folks; there will be plenty of action in the story too. I'm just enjoying the challenge of having Raven fall in love in a convincing way. Anyway let the show continue!

It was extremely late at night by the time Raven reached Jump City with her newfound companion Zeruge in tow. The demon was fast asleep; occasionally he muttered something in his sleep and would reach out trying to find Raven. "Relax Zeruge I'm right here." Raven whispered to him taking his hand in hers. After giving her hand a gentle squeeze he settled back into an expression of deep peace. It was as if her mere presence was a source of solace to him.

Raven figured it made sense. She was the first person he had encountered after being locked up for god knew how long in a tomb in Japan. For the past several weeks he had attempted to contact her in her sleep begging her to help him. When Raven had reached the tomb she had been unprepared for the sight of him chained to the wall seemingly dead. After a skeleton guarding the tomb had impaled her on him sending her blood into his body he had awoken and saved her from the skeletons that had been left there to ensure that Zeruge not be disturbed. She could still remember how on first waking up he had embraced her and told her how lovely he thought she was. It had been one hell of a first impression and a faint blush colored her cheeks just thinking about it.

But right now the sorceress had bigger things on her mind, like how to explain to her teammates why she had unleashed, and then brought to their home, a six-foot tall demon warrior without ending up in a padded room with a straightjacket "Ugh, how in Azar am I supposed to explain this to the others? 'Oh hey guys, a huge bloodthirsty demon followed me home, can I keep him?' yeah, that's going to go over reeeaaalll well with the others, especially Robin. The Boy Wonder's going to hit the roof." Raven grumbled to herself as she landed the T-Ship as quietly as she could. Now that she was rested Raven was able to use her powers to levitate Zeruge out of the ship's cockpit. Oblivious to his surroundings the demon continued to sleep snoring his pointed ears twitching occasionally. "Ugh, I just hope to god he's housebroken. For all I know he pees acid or something." Raven said talking to herself, something she did a lot, as she headed up to the upper floors of the tower.

Fortunately, the rest of the Titans had gone to bed leaving the tower dark and quiet. As stealthily as she could Raven glided through the halls with Zeruge trailing behind her wrapped snugly in a blanket of dark energy. Raven debated where exactly she should put Zeruge until he woke up. Her first thought was the basement but the risk of someone finding him was something she wasn't willing to take. The roof was definitely out of the question as almost everyone went up there at one point or another. She needed to hide the demon in the most secure, and undisturbed place in the entire tower. Somewhere where she could keep an eye on him at all times without risk of discovery. And, much to her displeasure, the only place that fit those exact specifications was: "My room." Raven said with a deadpan sigh. Her room, the forbidden zone to all but herself, her innermost and most heavily protected sanctum, where all of her deepest and most closely guarded belongings and secrets where kept, and now she was going to let a perfect stranger bunk with her out of the blue. Go figure.

As it had several times since she had first decided to take Zeruge home with her part of her was wondering exactly WHY in blue blazes she was being so damned hospitable to him in the first place. He had lead her halfway across the world and had nearly gotten her killed in the tomb that was holding him after his skeletal guardians woke up and decided to use Raven as a pin cushion. By all accounts she should have just left Zeruge sleeping outside that tomb in Japan and go back home to rest after yet another crappy day in a crappy life in a crappy existence. But, despite her overwhelming urge to just chuck Zeruge out the nearest window, get into bed and get some seriously needed beauty rest, she somehow couldn't bring herself to abandon the somewhat dashing demon. He was nothing if not charming when he tried to be, and even if he had put Raven in a somewhat life-threatening position he HAD tried to warn her about the dangers. Plus he had risked his own safety to save her life. Sure the other Titans had saved her skin here and there on missions but that was mainly the team looking out for each other. Zeruge had been concerned about her as a person. Not as a teammate, not as a half-demon. But as just, Raven, the girl who happened to have psychic powers and had a demon lord for a father.

Without a word the dark sorceress floated into her room and grabbed some blankets out of the closet. Still levitating Zeruge Raven added some pillows and sheets to her juggling act to make a makeshift bed for her 'guest'. After piling on a few blankets to act as a mattress of sorts Raven gently, very gently, lay the demon down and draped a few blankets over him. By some nameless impulse Raven knelt down and tucked the demon in like a mother preparing her child for bed. Zeruge snuggled into the covers a content smile on his face as he slept. For a moment Raven simply knelt there watching the demon slumber listening to him snore faintly. His ears twitched occasionally making small flapping movements like the beat of a butterfly's wings. _He's kind of cute when he sle-wait a second did I just call him CUTE? _Caught off guard by that unexpected thought Raven hastily clamped down on her thoughts before she blew the tower to kingdom come, though she was unable to keep herself from blushing. "I-I think I need some sleep, yeah, th-that ought to clear my head. I'll figure this mess out in the morning." Raven said to herself going over to her drawer and pulling out her midnight blue nightgown. After drawing a veil of dark magic around her just in case Raven changed into her nightgown and stuffed her ripped and bloodstained clothing in the back of her closet.

With a yawn Raven crawled into bed glancing down at the demon sleeping a few inches away from her on the floor. The demon was curled up in the blankets like a caterpillar in a cocoon only his face visible amidst the bundle of sheets. As if on cue the demon yawned loudly showing off his impressive set of fangs rubbing at his face with a gauntlet before resuming his peaceful slumber. Though Raven wouldn't be caught dead admitting it there was something almost endearing about the way the demon slept. His face, once full of such rage and bloodlust, now held only a serene look of peace and contentment like the face of a sleeping child. Though Raven's face was still as deadpan as ever her expression seemed to soften, just a little though, in the presence of such a mystifying guest. "Cute, right. Next I'm going to start thinking Beast-Boy's a rocket scientist." She muttered unsure whether she should be amused or irritated that she was having such thoughts. Using her powers Raven created a small claw of energy that snaked it's way over to Zeruge's head. Without really noticing what she was doing Raven started absent-mindedly stroking Zeruge's hair before eventually coming to rest at the back of his ears scratching gently as though Zeruge was a housecat.

The air was suddenly filled with a strange, yet oddly familiar sound. At first Raven wasn't able to identify the noise but when she did she looked at Zeruge with more than a little surprise. As ludicrous as it may have seemed, Zeruge, the huge fearsome demon warrior that had snapped bones like toothpicks and had carved through steel armor like paper with his claws and swords, was, well, _purring_. With the intensity of a motorboat Zeruge was purring his little heart out a look of absolute bliss on his sleeping face. Raven watched him purr a blank look on her face, then, slowly the corners of her mouth twitched into the beginnings of a smile. "Okay, maybe he's a _little _cute. But Beast-Boy's still isn't a rocket scientist and I'm still not impressed. It takes a lot more than a few pick up lines and a purr to get my attention thank you very much." She said half to Zeruge and half to herself. Raven pulled the covers over her head and started to nod off. "But, it's a start." She murmured before falling asleep the smallest of smiles on her lovely face.

Morning came on swift wings for Raven and, as it had for many mornings, the usual red-haired messenger known as Starfire heralded it. "Friend Raven! Please proceed with the rising of shine, it is a beautiful day and friend Cyborg is preparing fast of break for everyone!" Starfire chirped in the uplifting tone of a songbird celebrating the first rays of dawn. A songbird that Raven wanted nothing better than to shoot, stuff and mount on her wall at the moment. The sorceress peeked her tired red eyes from underneath a mound of pillows at the clock next to her bed with an unintelligible growl slash Azarathian curse. "I'll rise, but I'll be damned if that girl thinks I'm going to shine after only three hours of sleep." She muttered swinging her legs over to the side of her bed and hopping out of bed. The next thing she knew Raven's feet came into contact with something very hard stubbing her toes. "OW! Son of a-huh?" Raven stopped in mid swear blinking in confusion. Looking down she almost screamed at the sight of a large demon sleeping on the floor before her tired brain kicked into gear. "Oh, yeah. I forgot I had brought Zeruge home with me. So much for clearing my head with some sleep." She said with a yawn.

Remarkably Zeruge was still asleep snoring away in his little bundle of blankets. Despite being about six feet tall and probably weighing well over two hundred pounds Zeruge looked like a newborn infant asleep in its crib. Raven was a little relieved at this. As long as the demon was asleep he didn't need to be fed nor would he wander around risking discovery. "Just how long are you going to sleep anyway?" She said to the slumbering creature. Zeruge mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over. With a shrug Raven changed into a clean leotard and cloak. As she glided over to the door Zeruge started to whimper slightly in his sleep as though he could sense her intentions to leave. Exasperated Raven walked over and knelt down next to the demon. "Relax will you? I'll only be gone for a few minutes and then I'll come right back. I'm not going to leave you all alone again, I promise." Raven said stroking the demon's messy black hair. As he had the night before Zeruge started purring softly at the feeling of Raven's touch.

"You really enjoy my company don't you?" Raven said though she wasn't expecting an answer. Then to her surprise Zeruge nuzzled her hand with his cheek his purring going up a notch in volume. As Zeruge did this something began to melt inside the dark sorceress's heart. Little by little the wall of ice surrounding Raven's deepest, most tender emotions was being thawed out by this mysterious, and in some strange way, adorable creature. For a moment her normally blank and neutral expression softened into something that looked almost like genuine affection. With one last scratch behind the ears Raven glided out of her room with a parting glance behind her at her new roommate. "I think I'm losing my edge. I better ditch this guy fast before I start getting (shudder) mushy." Raven said to herself with a gag as she headed to the living room.

As usual the living room was the epicenter of another wonderful morning of absolute chaos. Beast-Boy and Cyborg were arguing over what to have for breakfast, Starfire was watching T.V while sipping a container of mustard through a straw, which at the sight of her doing this made Raven turn a lovely shade of green. And Robin, the leader of the team with his green, yellow and red superhero uniform complete with utility belt, cape and mask, was sitting next to Starfire reading a magazine. The former apprentice to the legendary superhero Batman, Robin was heavily trained in martial arts and had a knack for detective work. Despite being the only normal human of the team his superb leadership qualities and dedication to his ideals more than made up for his lack of super powers.

Upon seeing Raven enter Starfire squealed in delight flying over and embracing her in a hug that would have dislocated the spine of lesser folk. "Oh glorious morning to you friend Raven! We have all missed you so and are eager to hear of your travels. Tell me was your trip pleasant? Did you bring back any souvenirs of your travels? Please, elaborate on your activities I am all ears." She bubbled spinning around in the air squeezing the life out of Raven. Starfire, while an incredibly pleasant individual and very sweet friend, was also a little unaware of her own strength especially when around her friends. So naturally Raven was having just a wee bit of trouble getting oxygen into her lungs.

Mercifully it was Robin who prevented Raven from going to the emergency room. "Maybe if you put her down so she doesn't die of suffocation she could tell you Starfire. Just a thought." Robin said not even bothering to look up from reading his martial arts magazine. This had happened many times before so the Boy Wonder wasn't too concerned. Starfire blinked as though she had not considered that thought all the way through. "Ohh, er, yes perhaps you are right friend Robin. Friend Raven does appear to be in need of air. Her face is turning the most interesting colors." Starfire said as Raven's face went from red to blue to purple. Releasing Raven from her 'bear hug of death' as Beast-Boy had termed it Starfire waited for her to start breathing again floating in mid-air as she waited.

"It (gasp) was (wheeze) interesting (pant)." Raven coughed out as she inhaled a deep lungful of air. "Yeah, exactly where did you go anyway? I was out on patrol at the time so I wasn't around to hear what you were up to." Robin asked putting down his magazine and gazing at her intently. "Um, well…" Raven dragged her toe across the ground awkwardly trying to think of an excuse. _Come on Raven think! If they find out about Zeruge I'm screwed _she thought to herself as she frantically weaved a fib she hoped to Azar was believable. "I, uh, needed some time away from the tower so I went off to Japan for the day for some…sightseeing! Yeah that's it, I was sightseeing in Japan all-day and lost track of the time. Sorry about that." Raven said hastily giving a big fake smile.

"Sightseeing." Robin repeated tilting an eyebrow. "Mm-hmm." Raven said starting to sweat a little. She could feel Robin's gaze boring into her like a drill. At this rate something was bound to break when her nervousness got intense enough and then Robin would know for sure something was up. _I could really use a miracle right now _Raven thought. Apparently someone was keeping an eye on our favorite sorceress for her prayer was answered from a commotion from the kitchen. Robin, Starfire and Raven looked over to see Beast-Boy in the form of a rooster furiously pecking away at Cyborg's head while the cybernetic teen tried to pry him off with a spatula only to have the little green rooster dig his talons into his scalp. "Oh boy, I better go referee before Cyborg tries to deep fry Beast-Boy, again." Robin said with a sigh. After giving Raven one last 'I hope you're not up to something' look he went over to break up the squabbling teammates.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief thanking any and all the gods before going over to make herself a cup of herbal tea. After some heavy negotiation it was decided that breakfast would be cereal and waffles the two chefs wasting no time preparing breakfast now that they had agreed on something. Despite occasional scraps like this Cyborg and Beast-Boy were very good friends. One would often find them playing games, watching T.V or some other form of typical male binding. After some heavy persuasion from Cyborg Raven munched on a plate of waffles while sipping her tea. Her stomach rumbled its gratitude for the nourishment as tea could only do so much for one's system. She didn't mind too much as Cyborg was a good cook and Beast-Boy wasn't too shabby either in a pinch though she tried to steer away from his attempts to show her the wonders of tofu and other vegan treats.

Starfire chatted with her about this and that, mostly about the latest hairstyle she had seen in a magazine or the newest Earth custom she had discovered. Raven listened half-heartedly not wanting to hurt her friend's feelings but not exactly wild about the subjects of glamour and mustard either. Kind of tuning it out Raven finished her breakfast and put her dishes away before getting up to leave. "Thanks for breakfast guys. I'll see you later." She said grabbing her tea and turning to leave. "Hey Raven, we were going to head downtown for some shopping after breakfast. Do you want to come?" Robin asked drinking a glass of orange juice. "Thanks Robin, but I think I need to go crash and burn. I'm still exhausted from yesterday. Maybe next time though." Raven said over her shoulder. Robin shrugged and nodded. "Okay, just let us know if you need anything and we'll come back home as soon as we can." He said before going back to eating his cereal. Raven gave an A-okay sign with her fingers as she glided away.

It wasn't that she was trying to be antisocial but Raven honestly did just want to stay home and relax. It had been a very draining experience yesterday to say the least and Raven was in some serious need of R and R. It was funny, out of all the Titans despite seeming to be the calmest and most laidback of the team she was in fact the hardest working member constantly striving to keep her powers in check and maintaining order in her life, a task that seemed downright impossible at times due to the chaos of her teammates. Raven floated back into the comforting darkness and gloom of her room closing the door behind her and making her way back to her bed. Zeruge's ears twitched hearing Raven's footsteps and a low purr started up from deep within the demon's throat. "Told you I'd be back." Raven said sitting down setting her tea to one side.

Raven was unsure what she was going to do about Zeruge. Sooner or later the others would discover him, and then there was no telling what would happen. Thinking back to her previous comment about ditching Zeruge she was surprised to find the thought of not seeing Zeruge again rather depressing. It wasn't that she was attached to him or anything, she didn't feel any real desire to be around him. But on the other hand there wasn't a desire for him to leave either. It was an interesting change of pace to not be the only demon around even though technically she was a half-breed. She felt a sort of kinship with the demon swordsman that she didn't seem to want to part with.

There was only so much of the other Titans Raven could stand without wanting to bang her head repeatedly against the wall. Beast-Boy wore on a person's nerves like tin foil in your teeth with his non-existent sense of humor and never-ending tirade against the consumption of anything that had once been alive. Starfire's sunny disposition mixed with Raven's dark and foreboding style like oil and water the alien princess constantly trying to get Raven to either do things she wouldn't be caught dead doing or wearing things she wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Cyborg was a techno-freak having seemed to dedicate himself to the task of having every single electronic appliance in the tower either A: Shoot lasers, B: Produce waffles, or C: Play really, REALLY loud music. That and the fact that if she heard him yell 'BOO-YAH!' one more time she would take him apart with a screwdriver and a blowtorch. And Robin, well, Robin was okay on most fronts but the Boy Wonder had a habit of getting a little TOO wrapped up in his work. There were time when Starfire had to drag him out of his room just so he could spend a few seconds not brooding over the latest crime spree or trying to figure out what their latest enemies were up to.

Aside from these little quirks (well, okay maybe they weren't so little) the other Titans were great company and Raven got along fine with them all things considered. It was just that she was bored of the same old routine of 'fight bad guys, eat pizza, fight more bad guys, socialize, rinse and repeat'. She had read every one of her books at least four times, had seen every movie they had, even the horror movies she would usually avoid, to the point that she could quote every single line by memory, and had even (god forbid) gone to the mall with Starfire shopping for new clothes, accessories, and even had gotten her ears pierced for the hell of it though she wasn't particularly into jewelry, which was ironic considering she had a red chakra in the middle of her forehead. Now that she thought about it this whole mess with Zeruge was starting to seem more and more like a blessing in disguise. "The real question is," Raven muttered as she lay on her bed with her hands behind her head. "Am I wanting Zeruge to stay because I'm bored, or is it because I'm starting to (shudder) _like _him?" She wondered.

But as revolting as that prospect seemed, Raven supposed there were a LOT worse people she could have been attracted to. As her gaze traveled up and down his sleeping form Raven had to admit she rather liked what she saw. About six feet in height Zeruge's body was firm and well muscled but not to the point of over-development. He was almost as tall as Cyborg but didn't quite have the same broad frame as the cybernetic teen. Nonetheless the demon had an impressive muscular frame in his own right. His large bat-like wings were curled around his shoulders like a leathery cloak the membrane in between the wing's digits seeming deceptively thin. His face was relatively human in appearance with his nose and jaw structure. However his pointed, almost elf-like ears, large fangs, and yellow and black cat's eyes overshadowed these small similarities. His messy black hair spilled over his forehead the long ebony tufts of unkempt hair curling upwards as he exhaled before being slowly drawn back down towards his face as he inhaled.

Quietly as though not to disturb him Raven slid off the bed and crawled over to where he was sleeping sitting down next to him on the ground. "You're a real mystery you know that? I don't know whether I should be afraid of you or if I should get you a leash and collar. Just when it seems you're just another blood-thirsty monster," Raven said softly reaching out and scratching him behind the ears. Zeruge smiled in his sleep purring happily. "You go and turn all cute and cuddly. How am I supposed to be all moody and foreboding if I've got a six-foot tall demon who acts like a housecat under my roof?" She said in a bemused tone. The slumbering demon gave no answer other than continuing to purr. Raven actually found the noise kind of soothing, like listening to the ocean. Slowly her eyelids started to droop as fatigue worked to claim her. The lack of rest from yesterday, combined with only three hours of sleep and the relaxing sound of Zeruge purring, was more formidable than she could handle. "You know, maybe I should (yawn) take a page out of your book and sleep, for a couple hundred years. I seriously need to get some shut-eye…" Raven nodded off in the middle of talking as she curled up on the ground next to Zeruge joining him in his slumber.

For a long time the two demons lay there sleeping not a single sound other than their breathing penetrating the silence of Raven's room. Then, some time later, Zeruge began to stir. Slowly his yellow and black eyes fluttered open his blurred vision swimming back into focus. "Wh-where am I?" He murmured still groggy from his long nap. With a yawn he sat up rubbing at his eyes with his hand looking around at his surroundings. He was in a dark, gloomy room filled with shelves upon shelves of dusty books. Various stuffed ravens, grotesque stone statues, and other bizarre relics of the occult were placed throughout the dim room staring down like somber sentinels. Zeruge blinked in confusion taking in his new surroundings with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. "Oh-kay, well, I think it's safe to say I'm not at the tomb anymore, unless someone did some serious redecorating while I was asleep." He said scratching his head in bewilderment.

The last thing he remembered was talking to that mysterious girl, he believed she had called herself Raven, after she had woken him up from his slumber only to fall asleep, again he thought with a degree of annoyance, because of the poison in an arrow one of the skeleton guardians had shot him with. "Speaking of which," Zeruge said looking around. "Where did that girl get off to anyway?" He wondered. Suddenly a soft murmur, like the coo of a dove, caught his attention coming from right next to him. Glancing down Zeruge was surprised to see none other than Raven curled up on the floor next to him fast asleep. "Well, speak of the devil," Zeruge said arching an eyebrow. Now that he was fully awake he noticed that someone had tucked him into a mess of blankets and pillows acting as a sort of bed. Putting two and two together Zeruge realized that Raven must have taken him with her to wherever she had come from and had been looking after him while he slept. The thought of someone, especially someone as beautiful as her, showing him such kindness touched him deeply. Not wanting to disturb her just yet he leaned back against a wall and watched her sleep.

Back at the tomb he hadn't managed to get a really good look at Raven, he had been a little preoccupied with saving both their hides, but now that he was seemingly safe from danger he took a moment to take her in. In all of his life Zeruge didn't think he had ever seen such a beautiful creature. Her pale silver skin seemed to glow in the darkness shining as though her skin was infused with the light of the moon. The red gem in her forehead seemed to wink at him like a crimson star. Her midnight blue eyes were closed her face in the peaceful expression of an angel. Her cloak lay draped over her flowing over, and clinging to, her womanly curves hiding her long shapely legs tantalizingly out of sight. With an air of wonder Zeruge reached out and gently, oh so gently, ran a talon through Raven's short dark purple hair. Her locks of hair were as soft and lustrous as the finest silk. After so many centuries in the shadows suffering in silence she had appeared to him like an angel come to cleanse him of his sins.

Alas, the tender moment met an untimely end as suddenly a fearsome growling noise filled the air sounding as though Cerberus himself had made his way into the Titan's tower. In reality the sound was Zeruge's stomach growling. Blushing from embarrassment Zeruge pat his stomach hoping to quiet down his ravenous appetite. "Maybe I should find something to eat before I start ogling Raven." He muttered to himself. Getting to his feet Zeruge paused for a moment looking down at the sleeping sorceress that had apparently taken him into her care. "The poor thing must be exhausted from what happened at the tomb," He said to himself. Zeruge couldn't help but think that Raven would be much more comfortable on the bed than on the floor. After a bit of pondering he gave a shrug. "Well, she did release me from my imprisonment. The least I can do is make sure she gets some beauty rest, though judging from her appearance, I'm not sure she really needs any." Zeruge said with a chuckle.

As gently as he could Zeruge carefully scooped Raven off the floor and into his arms holding her bridal style. To be able to feel Raven in his arms her lovely face so close to his own brought a blush to his face as he lay her down onto her bed. Grabbing a blanket Zeruge draped a few covers over Raven making sure she was warm and snug. Raven happily wriggled into the warm covers sighing in contentment. Zeruge sat at the foot of her bed watching her sleep listening to her breathe softly. As much as he wanted to stay with her the sooner he got some food into his belly the sooner he could get back up to snuff. What Raven didn't know was that when he had defeated those skeleton warriors he hadn't even been using a fourth of his actual powers. Zeruge's powers of fire magic, teleportation, super strength, and healing all were incredibly powerful techniques. But in order to be able to use his powers to their full strength Zeruge needed to keep a steady diet to provide fuel for his abilities. Besides, Zeruge thought wryly rubbing his grumbling stomach, how could you be expected to be locked in a tomb for a couple hundred years and not work up an appetite?

Torn between his heart and his stomach Zeruge eventually yielded to his appetite deciding to forage for food. Before he left however he walked back over to where Raven lay sleeping. Bending down Zeruge planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "Sleep well miss Raven. I hope I will be able to repay you for showing me such kindness." He said sneaking out of her room. As he explored his surroundings Zeruge marveled at the sheer size of Raven's home. Countless hallways snaked their way through the building each filled with dozens of doorways. As he explored he noticed that several of the doors had names on them. "Starfire, Beast-Boy, Cyborg, Robin, what strange names. Then again 'Raven' isn't exactly a common name either. I wonder who these people are?" Zeruge pondered to himself. Some of the doors were open revealing rooms packed with strange equipment and objects whose purpose he could only begin to guess at. "Miss Raven must be quite the aristocrat to be able to afford so many belongings. Hell, I don't think the Emperor had this much stuff." He said as he continued to walk around the tower.

Suddenly a whiff of a familiar scent caught his attention. Using his enhanced sense of smell he followed it diligently spurred by his hunger as well as his curiosity. His search brought him to the Titan's living room. He was immediately drawn to the immense television, which sat near the back wall of the room in front of the window overlooking the city. "What on Earth is this thing?" He wondered poking and prodding it with his talons. Suddenly the screen erupted in sound and light scaring the crap out of Zeruge who dove behind the couch with a startled yelp thinking he had awoken some evil spirit. While Zeruge was by no means helpless he tried to be cautious around things he didn't understand. He had gotten himself into more than a few hairy situations because he hadn't looked before he leaped. A minute passed and nothing happened. Cautiously Zeruge peeked out from behind the couch eyeing the television warily. "Huh, well seeing as this thing hasn't tried to eat my soul or anything I guess it's safe." He said walking over and tentatively pressing the button that had turned the thing on. All at once the screen turned black with a crackling hiss and was silent.

Zeruge pushed the button a few more times the screen switching on and off, on and off in an endless loop. Now that he was able to pay attention he noticed that rather than just random lights and sound the device seemed to make some sort of moving picture, kind of like a book only brought to life. The sound went along with whatever happened on screen ranging from noises to words depending on the situation. "Hmm, what a strange device. Maybe this is more of miss Raven's magic at work." He said finally growing bored of the television. As he turned to further explore the room he spared a glance out the window and stopped in his tracks his eyes bulging.

The window looked out onto a view of what could only be described as a kingdom of steel spires so high they almost seemed to scrape the sky above. The sun shone on the surface of several towers thousands of windows on their surface reflecting the light shining like diamonds. Looking down he saw he was in a massive tower on a small piece of land overlooking the city surrounded on all sides by clear blue water stretching out for miles in every direction. Zeruge stood there rooted to the spot his jaw on the floor. After a minute of gawking he managed to speak. "Wow, oh wow. That's very, uh, wow." He mumbled at a loss for words. With every step he took this place was seeming less and less like a home. It was almost like he had been taken to some sort of, well, _palace_. As he stood there gaping at the sight before him his stomach sounded its impatience this time sounding like a roaring herd of lions. Snapping out of his daze Zeruge gave an irritated sigh. "Okay, okay I heard you the first time, sheesh. Okay, now where is the food?" He said sniffing the air. Like a bloodhound Zeruge walked around the room sniffing at the air following the tantalizing scent of different types of food seeming to converge inside a white metal box sitting against a wall that seemed cold to the touch.

"Well now we're getting somewhere." Zeruge said reaching out and grasping the handle. Opening the door Zeruge saw a sight that awed him even more than the television, the tower and the city combined. Food, lots and lots of food, lay piled up inside the metal box everything from milk, cheese, vegetables, pasta, meat and other delicacies some he didn't even recognize, but frankly he didn't care as long as they were edible. All of this lay there cool and ripe for the picking. "_FOOD!" _Zeruge exclaimed smacking his lips. Rubbing his claws together greedily his eyes darted from one item to the next his mouth watering. Briefly he considered waiting for Raven to wake up so he could get her permission before eating all of her food but a roar from his stomach pushed the thought aside. "Bah, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now it's snack time!" He said happily reaching for the food drool running from his fangs.

Just as he was about to start digging in he heard someone clear his throat behind him. Whirling around Zeruge found himself face to face with Starfire, Beast-Boy, Cyborg, and a very peeved Robin. "Looking for something in particular or were you just going to scarf the whole fridge?" Robin asked dryly his bird-a-rangs drawn. Zeruge gulped suddenly no longer hungry. "Oh boy." He said sweat-dropping.

Uh-oh, looks like Zeruge just met the rest of the Titans, and I don't think he made a very good impression! Next chapter Zeruge and the Titans square off with Raven in the middle trying to keep them from killing each other. Will Raven be forced to part with the demon she's just started to warm up to? Or will an old enemy's reappearance give Zeruge the chance to prove himself both to the Titans and Raven? Find out next chapter and don't forget to review folks! Plleeaassee? (Does puppy-dog eyes). Ta-ta for now in any case!


	3. Chapter 3

The Girl Who Loved a Monster

By Metal Overlord 2.0 

Salutations! I'd like to apologize for how freaking long it took me to update. I've had all my free time sucked right out of me by my three newest videogames, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Resident Evil 4. But on the bright side I got a ton of new ideas for this story. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing you've been a big source of encouragement and inspiration. Thanks a lot guys you kick ass! Okay, now that I've said what was needed to be said let's get this show back on track!

Deep within the depths of her room Raven had been sleeping soundly in her bed when a horrendous racket jarred her from her rest. Wearily Raven's midnight blue eyes peeked open an expression of irritation and exhaustion on her face. "Oh for the love of Azar can't a girl get any sleep around here?" Raven grumbled pulling her pillow over her head to try and drown out the noise. Just then realization hit Raven like a thunderbolt making her eyes snap open in surprise. "Wait a minute, why am I in my bed? Last thing I remember I was next to-" Raven started to say before glancing down where Zeruge should have been. Instead only a mess of empty blankets and pillows remained the demon's outline sunk into the sheets. "Zeruge?" Raven finished now fully awake.

Immediately she sprang out of bed looking frantically for the demon swordsman but he was nowhere to be found. "OhcrapohcrapohcrapohCRAP!." Raven groaned a feeling of impending disaster settling over her. Anxiety and concern bubbled up inside her like a volatile cocktail; some of her books exploded sending a mini blizzard of literature through her room. Trying to calm down Raven took a few deep breaths managing to regain some semblance of control. "Okay, let's think. If I were a demon who had just been let out of a tomb after a couple hundred years where would I go? Hmm, pillage a nearby town? No, the alarm would have gone off. Eat some livestock? Nuh-uh there isn't a farm animal anywhere in the city, well except for Beast-Boy, he's about as smart as a cow. Ravage a few innocent maidens?" As she considered that last guess and remembering how she had 'mysteriously' wound up in her bed Raven glanced down at herself making sure she still had her clothes on. Breathing a sigh of relief at her apparently un-ravaged body she went back to thinking of where her unofficial 'pet' might have slunk off.

Suddenly she heard someone screaming. Recognizing the owner of the voice to be the demon in question she rushed over to her door and opened it peeking out into the hallway. Sure enough there was Zeruge who was tearing down the hallway like a drunken bat out of hell dodging a barrage of sonic blasts, bird-a-rangs and starbolts an almost comical expression of panic on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" Raven asked though she suspected she already knew the answer. "TRYING NOT TO DIE!" Zeruge squawked as he zoomed past making Raven's cloak flap like a bed sheet in an updraft. Half a second later who else but Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast-Boy bolted down the hall in hot pursuit of the hapless demon. All that was missing were the torches and pitchforks and they would have been a regular lynch mob. "AFTER HIM!" barked Robin as he and the others gave chase not even noticing Raven as they pursued Zeruge. Raven watched them disappear down the hallway feeling strangely relieved. This was bound to have happened sooner or later and now that it had at least she could get it done with so she wouldn't have to keep stressing out over hiding Zeruge.

"Maybe I should just let them kill each other. I could actually get a little peace and quiet around here. And I'd never have to hear another one of Beast-Boy's lame jokes for the rest of my life." Raven said thoughtfully. But as tempting as that sounded she knew that she was obliged to take care of Zeruge. It wouldn't exactly be good manners if she repaid Zeruge for saving her life by letting her friends beat him to a pulp. And if there was one thing Trigon had taught her, aside from black magic capable of wiping out entire cities, it was proper etiquette. It was funny how the guy who had taught her the basics of 'please' and 'thank you' was also the same guy who feasted on the flesh of his enemies and hung their skinned carcasses on pikes as decorations. "Maybe if I'm lucky Zeruge will eat Beast-Boy before I get there." She said wistfully as she turned into an apparition of a black bird and phased through the floor.

Meanwhile the other Titans had cornered Zeruge on the roof. The unfortunate demon warrior was boxed in with no way out. Normally he could have easily teleported away, or at the very least fly, but he was so damned hungry he could barely play keep-away with these costumed nut jobs, who apparently had decided that demons make good target practice. Zeruge's body, for all of its incredible powers like teleportation, pyrokinesis, super strength and the ability to fly, none of them worked a lick if he didn't have any food in his belly to burn for fuel. And right now the big guy was running on empty. "I don't know who you are or where you came from but you picked the wrong place to break into." Robin said pulling out his bo staff. Zeruge gulped nervously raising his claws in a 'down boy' gesture the way one would treat an angry dog. "Wait! I think there's been a little bit of a misunderstanding here. If you'll just let me expl-YIPE!" He yipped suddenly as a starbolt blasted the ground inches away from his feet. "We demand you commence with the spilling of the beans as to the whereabouts of friend Raven or we will cease with the niceness and begin with the kicking of the butt!" Starfire growled her eyes shining green.

_ Okay, so much for talking some sense into these guys _Zeruge thought to himself as he eyed his opponents cautiously. They were an odd bunch to say the least. First there was the little green fellow, who seemed to be having a serious identity crisis not seeming to be able to pick one form whether it be beast, bird or man and stick with it. Then there was the large bronze skinned man who looked like he was constructed half human and half blue and silver armor that glowed a piercing blue. Next on the list of too-weird-even-for-Zeruge list was the young red haired girl with green eyes who seemed to be fairly normal except for the fact that she was floating four feet of the ground and was dressed in an outfit that was revealing at best. He couldn't help but wonder if she was some kind of concubine. And lastly there was the smallest of the four, a young man dressed in a garish red green and yellow ensemble better fit for a court jester than a warrior, which the lad obviously was judging by his stance and movements.

Zeruge was snapped out of his observations by the smell of something acrid filling his nostrils. Some of the smoke from the spot on the roof where Starfire had hit was giving off a faint plume of smoke. _Oh no, not now _he thought a knot of dread coiling in his gut as he felt a sneeze coming on. Now, normally this wouldn't be a very big deal but for Zeruge…well, let's just say things were about to heat up a little. "So, are we going to do this the easy was or the hard way gruesome?" Cyborg said smacking his fist into his palm with a clang oblivious of what was about to unfold. Zeruge's reply was short and sweet. "Ah, ah, ah, AH-CHOOO!" Now when most people sneeze usually a large amount of mucous is expelled which tends to result in people getting a face full of snot if they are unfortunate enough to be in said sneezer's direct line of fire. What the Titans got a face-full of was a huge burst of searing flames that jetted out of Zeruge's nose like twin flamethrowers.

"HOLY CRAP!" Robin yelled as he and the others dived out of the way of the blast. The fireball left a charred trail in its wake smashing into the edge of the roof raining chunks of concrete and glass onto the rocks below. Zeruge stood there mortified beyond belief as the slightly crispy Titans lay scattered in a daze. "Uh…I don't suppose a heartfelt apology would work would it?" Zeruge said rubbing the back of his head giving a nervous laugh as the Titans got to their feet soot on their faces, scorch marks on their clothes, and murder in their eyes. "I, uh, didn't think so." Zeruge said sweat dropping. Well, as you may have guessed Robin and the others didn't take too kindly to being almost flash-fried so the Boy Wonder said those two famous words we all know so well: "TITANS GO!" He sprinted at Zeruge hurling his bird-a-rangs with deadly accuracy. Zeruge barely had time to dodge them before a shadow loomed over him from above. Looking up Zeruge's eyes grew wide with alarm at the sight of Cyborg, all four hundred pounds of him, plummet towards him with his fists laced together aiming to squish the poor demon warrior like a bug on a windshield.

However, Zeruge was not a bug, and as such he had the sense to get the hell out of the way leaping backwards right before Cyborg bashed the ground where he had just been creating an impact crater the size of a small pool. Hearing a loud bellow behind him Zeruge saw Beast-Boy charge at him from the rear in the form of a large bull his horns lowered with Zeruge right between them like a target in a crosshair. The demon's first impulse was to immediately dodge but when he saw Cyborg getting up and charging up his sonic cannons he got an idea. When Beast-Boy was just about to introduce his horns to Zeruge's ass the demon jumped straight up opening up his wings to slow his descent just enough so that Beast-Boy ran under him unable to stop due to his momentum. A very surprised Cyborg had just enough time to say "Oh fudge." Before he was railroaded by Beast-Boy leaving him lying in a heap on the ground covered in hoof-prints. Beast-Boy skidded to a stop morphing back to his human form and going over to Cyborg. "Uh, sorry, didn't see you there Cy. You okay?" "Don't take me out coach, I can still play." Cyborg mumbled in a daze. "Uh, guess not." Beast-Boy said sweat dropping.

Meanwhile Starfire and Robin who were double-teaming Zeruge in an attempt to bring him down. Starfire was laying down a barrage of starbolts from afar while Robin was getting up close and personal with a flurry of kicks and punches occasionally adding a bird-a-rang or exploding disk to the mix to keep their quarry on his toes. "Can't we-WHOA! Just talk-GAH! This out!" Zeruge managed to say as he dodged blow after blow from the Boy Wonder while swerving around Starfire's attacks with the grace of a cat. "Oh don't worry about that. You'll be able to talk all you want once we throw you in a cell in the city prison!" Robin remarked frustrated with his opponent's agility. Finally Zeruge got fed up with having this guy try to use him as a punching bag so he reached out in the middle of dodging one of Starfire's eye blasts and caught Robin's fist in mid-punch. "What the-! Hey, let-errgh me go!" Robin growled as he tried to free his hand from the demon's armored claws.

"Not until you calm down and tell me why you people are so interested in putting me behind bars when I haven't even done anything." Zeruge said firmly tightening his grip. Robin looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and outrage. "You break in, try to eat us out of house and home, come within an inch of barbecuing us, and god only knows what you did to Raven, and you're telling me you haven't done anything! What screwed up planet are you from!" He said angrily. Robin got an answer all right, but not from Zeruge. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything Boy Blunder." A familiar deadpan voice said from behind them. Robin suddenly went as rigid as a statue. Gulping loudly Robin turned his head with glacial slowness afraid of what he was going to see.

Sure enough there, standing a few feet away was Raven her arms crossed over her chest. And she did not look happy. As one Starfire, Robin, Zeruge, Beast-Boy, and Cyborg, who had managed to get his wits together after getting on the business end of Beast-Boy's horns, crowded around Raven and started talking all at once. Robin was trying to explain to her how he had caught Zeruge breaking in to the tower and had tried to kill them, Beast-Boy was going on and on about how he had single handedly fought off the 'big gray monster thingie' as he so intelligently put it, Cyborg was whining about how it was going to take him a couple of weeks at least to buff out the hoof marks in his armor, Starfire was sobbing over how she had thought Raven had been eaten by Zeruge, and then there was Zeruge who was telling her about how the Titans had attacked him for no reason and wanted her to explain to them that he wasn't a threat. Unable to even hear herself think over the din Raven gritted her teeth growing increasingly aggravated until she couldn't take it anymore.

"SHUT UP!" She roared arks of black energy streaking around the roof blowing random chunks of rubble into many smaller pieces of rubble. The silence that followed was so deafening you could hear a pin drop. But Raven wasn't through venting, not by a long shot. As her anger was vented her powers coalesced in black tendrils of energy weaving about her like enraged Pythons looking for something to strangle. "First of all no Starfire I was NOT eaten and please let go of me before you dislocate my spine. Cyborg I don't give a damn if it takes you a month to fix yourself quit your whining and just do it. Beast-Boy you couldn't beat a cold by yourself much less a demon swordsman so go tell your delusions of grandeur to someone who gives a rat's ass. Robin you probably started this whole mess assuming like always that anyone who doesn't dress in spandex and a cape is a threat to humanity so do me a favor and zip it before I staple your mouth shut. And you!" Raven growled stalking over to Zeruge. "Are you talking to me?" He said nervously trying to look as innocent as possible.

Raven ran her hand over her face wondering if it wasn't too late to stuff Zeruge back in his tomb. "No, the other six foot tall armored demon standing on the roof, OF COURSE I'M TALKING TO YOU DIMWIT!" Raven yelled at him making him cringe his ears flattening against the sides of his head. "Now, now, there's no need to yell…" Zeruge said trying to calm the angry sorceress down. Of course at this point trying to reason with Raven was like trying to apologize to a grizzly bear after shooting it in the foot. "No need to yell! OF COURSE THERE'S A NEED TO YELL! I turn my back on you for one second and you wander off without even bothering to let me know! Do you know how worried I was! I thought you might have gotten hurt, or worse. And for all I knew you were up here picking your teeth with what was left of my friends. How am I supposed to trust you if you cause so much trouble every time I let my guard down? Do I have to tie you up and stuff you in a box or something so you don't run off like an overactive puppy?" Raven ranted her powers causing arcs of black magic to zip across the roof making random objects blow up.

Zeruge stood there looking at the ground a somber expression on his face. His ears were drooping and his eyes were cast downward as though he was unable to bring himself to look at Raven. "I'm sorry miss Raven. This whole mess was my fault. I wanted to stay with you but I was so hungry I went off to look for some food. But when I did I also found these four who attacked me thinking I was an intruder. Please forgive me Raven I never meant to make you mad or to wreck your home." Zeruge said sadly. Upon hearing such guilt in his voice Raven's anger began to fade and was instead replaced by regret. It wasn't Zeruge's fault this had all happened. If she hadn't brought him here in the first place he'd probably still be back in Japan. In an attempt to vent all of the frustration and fear she had been feeling for his safety Raven had lost her temper and had taken it all out on the poor demon.

"Zeruge I," Raven started to say before Zeruge lifted a claw up to stop her. "It's alright. I've obviously overstayed my welcome. I thank you Raven for showing me such kindness. If only I had been able to show my gratitude rather than cause you so much trouble. I also apologize to you four. I've been nothing but a burden since I've come here and I think it's time for me to go." Zeruge said walking towards the stairs. Her mind numb from shock Raven watched the only person she had ever really cared for walk away from her home and her life before something inside her seemed to give. "WAIT!" She cried out startled by the force of her voice. Zeruge stopped in his tracks turning to look at her. "Yes?" He asked his face still holding that sad look. Raven stood there at war with herself part of her wanting to do something to comfort Zeruge but another part of her was against it because of what her friends might think. But as she looked at Zeruge, she realized that she honestly didn't give a damn.

"Umm, y-you don't have to leave. I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just that I-I was worried about you. When I didn't know where you were I thought that you might have left me. Don't get any ideas it's not because I like you or anything, it's just, it's just that I didn't want you to leave so soon!" Raven managed to blurt out her face reddening. Zeruge stood there stunned not having expecting Raven to say that in the least. "You, you want me to stay? Even after all the trouble I've been?" He asked thunderstruck. Raven blushed even harder but managed to nod. Zeruge stood there for a minute a blank look on his face. Then, with a squeal of joy, he bounded over and scooped Raven up in a bear hug spinning around with the very surprised sorceress in his secure and loving grip. "Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU! You won't regret this I promise miss Raven!" He said happily a ridiculously goofy grin on his face.

Raven however was having a hard time refraining from blowing him to bits for having the gall to lug her around like a sack of potatoes. But for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to wipe that happy look off Zeruge's face, along with the rest of his head. And it wasn't like he was hurting her, as a matter of fact he was really being quite gentle. Maybe she'd kill him later if she was still in the mood. So she just sort of snuggled in and enjoyed the ride feeling strangely at peace. "Your welcome Zeruge. So your not mad?" She asked softly. Zeruge grinned at her. "Nah, your too cute to stay mad at." He purred winking at her. Raven blushed feeling her heart race from the way he was looking at her. Though she hated to admit it she was actually kind of enjoying all of this attention. _He knows how to make a girl feel good, I'll give him that _she thought to herself closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest.

While Raven and Zeruge were enjoying this tender, heartfelt moment Robin and the others were absolutely speechless. Jaws were on the ground and eyeballs were bugging out as the dumbfounded teens watched Raven, who up till now had been chewing Zeruge out like a piece of beef jerky, suddenly do an emotional 180 and was now in a tender embrace with the demon warrior. "Um, could somebody explain to me what the hell just happened? Because I think I missed something." Cyborg said his one human eye the size of a dinner plate. "Holy soy milk Raven's HUGGING that thing! The only time she ever touches people is to beat the crap out of them, how come she's acting all mushy over tall dark and gruesome!" Beast-Boy asked looking even more confused than normal, if that was even possible. Robin opened his mouth to say something, then closed it just as quickly for once at a total loss for words. He didn't know which was weirder: the fact that Raven knew this guy, or the fact that he was now hugging her and still had all of his limbs intact.

Starfire however, calling upon her limited knowledge of Earth customs, came to the only logical reason for her friend's strange behavior and acted as such. "Oh glorious day! The creature of claws and pointed ears must be Raven's friend who is a boy!" Starfire squealed in joy causing Robin, Cyborg, and Beast-Boy to all do face-plants. Upon hearing this Raven's eyes snapped open the romantic haze lifting from her mind leaving her with the realization that she, Raven the deadpan resident goth, was hugging a six foot tall demon swordsman, in front of all her friends, in broad daylight. Caught in such a humiliating position and having heard Starfire's declaration that Zeruge was her boyfriend she did what she did naturally in such an event: She went off like a Chinese firework display.

"BOYFRIEND! HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! I BARELY KNOW HIM FOR AZAR'S SAKE!" She squawked her face turning beet red. Now, as we all know when Raven gets overly emotional her powers tend to manifest in chaotic and sometimes destructive ways. Now seeing as she was at the moment feeling extreme levels of emotion, in this case sheer embarrassment and mortification, her powers caused a torrent of black lightning to coalesce around her. Unfortunately, seeing as how Zeruge was at the moment in a tight embrace with Raven who was the source of the lightning, the flow of black energy used his armored body as a conductor turning him for a few seconds into the world's first demonic lightning rod. "Nya-ah-ah-ah-AHHHH!" Zeruge screeched lighting up like a Christmas tree before being blown a good fifteen feet from Raven smoke billowing off his smoldering hide like a downed fighter plane before he did a nosedive into the roof.

"Oh crap! Zeruge are you okay!" Raven asked rushing over to his side. She gave a startled yelp when Zeruge sat up suddenly. The demon's hair was sticking out in all directions looking like he had just put one of his claws in an electrical socket. A manic grin was plastered on his face. "WHOO! What a rush! Can we do that again?" He asked giddily like a kid who had just ridden his first roller coaster. Raven buried her face in her hands letting out an exasperated groan. "I just had to bring him home." She grumbled to herself. Just then the sound of someone clearing their throats caught the two's attention. Looking over Raven and Zeruge saw Robin standing a few feet away from them an eyebrow raised questionably. "So," He said at last, "Care to introduce us to your new friend Raven?" He asked wryly. "Yes friend Raven! You must introduce us to your friend-who-is-a-boy!" Starfire added perkily.

"For the last time he is NOT my boyfriend! Isn't that right Zeruge?" Raven said giving Zeruge a look that spoke volumes, none of which were providing a happy ending for the hapless demon if he didn't cooperate. "Uh, right absolutely. There is NOTHING going on between Raven and I. No sir no romantic connection whatsoever, zip zero nada." He said hastily. Maybe the collective stress the day had brought was taxing Raven's sanity, but some part of her couldn't help but feel a little dejected at those words. _He didn't have to say it like that _Raven thought to herself before she mentally slapped herself for having such thoughts. For cripes sakes she was trying to convince the others that she was NOT romantically involved with Zeruge. The stress must be getting to her she decided. She needed a good hot cup of herbal tea like nobody's business. That and a vacation that didn't involve her getting skewered and bringing back freeloading demons as souvenirs.

"Uh-huh, suure. Then why were you two lovebirds getting all warm and cozy huh?" Beast-Boy piped up a goofy grin on his face. "Yeah, for someone who's about as cuddly as an ice cube you weren't in any big rush to get out of devil boy's clutches." Cyborg said a hint of a smirk on his face. "Um, well you see…" Raven faltered not sure of an answer to that one. Before she could dig the proverbial hole she was in any deeper Zeruge decided to put his two cents in. "What miss Raven is trying to say is that the reason we were so close was that she saw a crack in my armor. As any warrior worth his salt knows going into battle with damaged equipment is an invitation for disaster. So Raven decided to point it out to me so that I could see to the proper repairs. Isn't that right miss Raven?" Zeruge said matter-of-factly glancing over at the surprised sorceress. "Um, yeah, what he said. I was worried that if he decided to leave then that crack would, uh, make him vulnerable in combat." Raven said nodding absently as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. The others exchanged skeptical looks but shrugged deciding to let it go.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief giving Zeruge a grateful look, which he returned with a toothy grin. She had to admit that was some pretty fast thinking on his part. Maybe she could stand to keep him around, for a little while anyway. "Fine, whatever, that still doesn't tell us who this guy is or where he came from." Robin said irritably. Zeruge opened his mouth to say something when his stomach, which was by now screaming for food, decided at that moment to make its demands be known. The Titans jumped up in the air suddenly as a deafening roar came from Zeruge's stomach. "What the hell was that?" Cyborg asked swinging his sonic cannon around trying to find the source of the noise. "Sorry about that. I'm so hungry right now I could eat a horse." Zeruge said with a sigh rubbing his empty belly. Upon hearing this Raven couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic for Zeruge. The only reason he had been dragged into this whole mess was because he had been so hungry. God only knew how long it had been since he had had an actual meal.

"Okay, now I know you guys all have a lot of questions about Zeruge, as do I, but I think we should take a lunch break. Then we can all hunker down for some Q and A. Sound like a plan?" Raven suggested. Starfire, Beast-Boy and Cyborg nodded their agreement. Robin, however, was a little less than cooperative. "Are you suggesting that we let that thing help himself to our food after he almost killed us? Give me one good reason why I should go along with this." Robin said folding his arms over his chest. The next thing he knew he was looking right into Raven's angry midnight blue eyes as she loomed over him lie the specter of death. "How about I give you three reasons Boy Blunder. One: Because that 'thing' is our guest and as such we are responsible for taking care of him. Two: Because you started this whole mess when you tried to use Zeruge for target practice. And Three: Because if you don't deflate your ego swollen head in about five seconds and show a little hospitality I'm going to remove what makes you a man with my bare hands. Are those clear enough reasons oh fearless leader?" Raven said icily giving Robin one of her infamous death glares.

"So Zeruge, any preferences? Sushi, Italian, Seafood, you name it we got it." Robin said looking noticeably paler than before. "As long as it's edible and in large amounts I could eat anything right now." Zeruge said raising an eyebrow at Raven's apparent authority over the others. He would have to remind himself to try not to get on her bad side in the future. But on the other hand he couldn't help but notice how awfully cute Raven looked when she was angry. _I've got interesting taste in women that's for sure _he thought with a grin. "I guess we could resolve this after getting some grub, but what makes you so sure this guy isn't going to turn around and bite our heads off or something? Dude doesn't exactly come off as a Boy Scout." Cyborg said powering down his weapons but still keeping an eye on Zeruge. "If friend Raven is willing to trust him, than so am I. Please, allow me to welcome you to our home by means of a traditional Tamaranian feast as a token of goodwill." Starfire said her warrior instincts being replaced by her usual kind and generous nature. Upon hearing this Raven cringed inwardly knowing all too well what Starfire's cooking tasted like. "Um, thanks for the offer Starfire but maybe we should just-" "That sounds lovely miss…Starfire, was it? I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity." Zeruge said bowing to Starfire.

"You are most welcome. But please, before we commence with the stuffing of our faces, may I ask the name of our unexpected guest?" Starfire inquired. Zeruge nodded. "Of course miss Starfire. Zeruge Mitsunashi, at your service." The demon replied. "It is an honor to meet you friend Zeruge, come, let us begin with the time of lunch." Starfire said flying off to make the preparations. Beast-Boy and Cyborg left after her followed by Robin who was muttering something under his breath about how he should have stayed in bed today. Raven waited until they were out of earshot before turning to Zeruge. "Are you sure about this? I mean, don't get me wrong Starfire's a really nice person but her cooking isn't exactly, well, edible." Raven said wondering if she should go and make sure Starfire wasn't using anything that had poisonous claws, electrical spikes, or acid dripping fangs as ingredients for her little banquet.

"I appreciate your concern miss Raven, truly, but I've been more than a bit of a nuisance since I came to, well, wherever I am, so I think the least I can do is accept your comrade's hospitality. Besides," He said walking off to join the others. "I'm sure miss Starfire isn't THAT bad of a cook." He said with a soft chuckle. _Famous last words _Raven thought to herself. Oh well, at least his heart was in the right place. "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." She said with a shrug. As she turned to do downstairs she stopped and glanced at Zeruge deciding to clear something up for her demonic companion. "Oh, one more thing, about that hug." She said coolly.

"Yes miss RaveeeAHHHH!" Zeruge screeched as Raven grabbed one of his pointed elfish ears with her hand and made a yanking motion with it like she was starting a lawn mower. "Now, I can handle it when Starfire hugs me because she doesn't know any better. You on the other hand, I have yet to decide whether or not I can trust to not let your hormones get in the way of your thought process so if you ever try that again without giving me some kind of a warning I will take these ears-" She grabbed his other ear and gave another tug prompting a fresh yowl of pain from the poor demon. "And I will tie them in a nice little bow tie. Do we understand each other?" She asked sweetly pleased at the effectiveness of this little bit of physical therapy. "OwowowowowOW! Yes, yes I understand now please let go of my ear! By the gods that hurts." Zeruge said tenderly rubbing his ears. "Good boy, now let's go get something to eat." Raven said giving the demon a little pat on the head. Zeruge watched her leave still rubbing his ears. "What have I gotten myself into?" He wondered.

A little while later everyone was down in the living room while Starfire flitted about dressed in a pink apron putting the last few finishing touches to the smorgasbord of delectable (at least to her) Tamaranian dishes. The other Titans, plus Zeruge, sat poking their meals hesitantly with their utensils as though expecting their meals to suddenly get up and move. This of course, was due to the fact that most of the food Starfire had made was either twitching, jiggling, pulsating, or making odd noises that generally weren't supposed to come from one's food. Zeruge eyed the assortment of food uneasily wondering if it wasn't too late to simply starve to death. Raven, seeing Zeruge's look of obvious disgust at the Tamaranian Princess's idea of 'food' was unable to keep herself from giving him a smug I-told-you-so look when the others weren't looking. "Please friends, do not be bashful! Please, begin with the out of pigging as I have spared no expense to prepare the most scrumptious of dishes in honor of our new guest." Starfire chirped sitting down at her seat and looking expectantly at the others.

"Uh, maybe Zeruge should have first taste? He is our guest after all." Robin said trying to think of a way out of eating Starfire's cooking. "An excellent idea friend Robin! Our guest should have the honor of eating first do you not agree friend Raven?" Starfire asked. Raven glanced over at Zeruge and gave him a devilish grin. You could almost see the devil horns poking through her hair. "That sounds like a wonderful idea Starfire. Well, go on Zeruge, bon appetite." Raven said savoring the look of horror on the demon's face. "Uh, great, don't uh, mind if I do." Zeruge said gulping. Taking a plate that had what looked like a cross between a Jellyfish and a banana Zeruge took a whiff immediately recoiling the stench reminding him of rancid milk and manure. "Gods above see through this meal alive." Zeruge prayed under his breath. Slowly he took a fork and speared a piece of the dish and after a second's hesitation popped it into his mouth. Suddenly Zeruge's eyes bulged in their sockets as he chewed. Managing to swallow it he stared at the food in disbelief not knowing food could ever taste like that.

"Th-this food it's, it's-" He sputtered unable to finish his sentence. "Yes friend Zeruge?" Starfire asked hoping she had not done something wrong. Perhaps she had used too much Zigdrolian Marklar Jelly. She'd had that problem since her days back on Tamaran. The others leaned forward in their chairs awaiting breathlessly as to what Zeruge's opinion on the food was. "It's DELICIOUS!" Zeruge exclaimed causing everyone to fall out of their chairs. It was hard to tell who was more shocked, them or him. "It is?" They said in unison Everyone but Starfire looking completely thunderstruck. The Tamaranian princess on the other hand, looked like she had just one the lottery. "Really? You enjoy the food!" Starfire asked looking like she was about to explode with joy.

Zeruge nodded before diving head first into the food with the efficiency of a wood chipper. "Miss Starfire, in all my years I've never had a meal as good as this. The flavor, the texture, everything's flawless!" Zeruge said in between bites as he greedily wolfed down plate after plate. "That's terrific Zeruge, now if you could only chew with your mouth closed." Raven grumbled making a shield of black energy around herself to prevent from being pelted with bits and pieces of food, and a fair amount of silverware too Zeruge wasn't exactly being a picky eater. On the safe side she made sure not to get any part of herself too close to the area in front of the ravenous demon lest she wind up being dessert.

"Dude, what is your stomach made of? Reinforced steel?" Beast-Boy said incredulously looking even greener the beastly manner of Zeruge's appetite reminding him of a program he had seen on the Discovery Channel when a pack of Hyena's had stripped down the carcass of a dead Zebra down to the bone. When the carnage was over Zeruge sat back in his chair rubbing his stomach contentedly. "Ah, a thousand blessings upon your home miss Starfire that was simply exquisite." Zeruge said happily. "It must have been, you ate all of ours too." Cyborg said though he didn't sound all that choked up about it. Indeed Zeruge, in his feeding frenzy, had not only leaned the plates of everyone at the table, but had eaten the plates as well. "Oh, uh sorry, It's just that it's been so long since I've eaten anything that well, I kind of went a little nuts." Zeruge said sheepishly. "Gee, do you think?" Robin said the sarcasm in his voice thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Since Zeruge had eaten all of Starfire's food Cyborg made ham and cheese sandwiches for everyone except Beast-Boy who had some Ramen noodles and tofu. Raven took this opportunity to make herself a pot of herbal tea. The scent of the tea drifted by Zeruge's nose the demon finding the smell rather nice. "Mmm, what's that you got there miss Raven?" He asked. "It's herbal tea." She explained pouring herself a cup and savoring the aroma. "Would it be alright if I tried some?" Zeruge inquired. Raven looked at him a little surprised. She'd never really shared anything of hers with anyone else before, especially her tea, which she was rather fond of. But he was the guest after all, so she figured it wouldn't hurt. "Um, sure, I guess." Raven said pouring a second cup for him. Zeruge delicately grabbed the cup between two of his armored talons and raised the cup to his lips. "Uh careful it's still-" She started to say before Zeruge downed the steaming contents of the cup in one gulp. "-Hot." She finished arching an eyebrow. "Ah, that hit the spot." Zeruge said putting the cup down.

Upon hearing this Raven's face brightened a little. "You like it? It's one of my own special recipes. My mother taught me the basics on how to make it when I was little. It's a mixture of regular tea leaves and a few extra ingredients to add flavor and nutrients. Whenever I get stressed out, which in this place," She glanced over at Cyborg and Beast-Boy who were having another meat versus tofu debate. "Is pretty often, I just pour myself a cup and let my mind wander. It's a good way to relax." She said not noticing that she was being more social than usual. Robin however, did. The Boy Wonder watched Raven and Zeruge chat with interest. In particular he was surprised at how content Raven seemed to be around Zeruge. He wasn't the leader of the team for nothing as his intuition was telling him that there was some something going on between the sorceress and their mysterious guest. It didn't seem to be a romantic involvement as far as he could tell, but there was nevertheless some kind of bond between Raven and Zeruge. Robin rarely saw Raven show any emotions outside of the occasional angry outbursts, which usually resulted in a fair amount of flying furniture, and exploding objects, so the sight of her so seemingly at peace mystified him to no end.

Perhaps he had misjudged Zeruge. The demon so far had been positively charming, well, outside of having the table manners of a piranha, and he seemed to bode them no ill will. Even when they had fought him on the roof he had done nothing to purposely hurt any of them. It wasn't that Robin was out to get Zeruge, it was just that he was trying to keep the team safe. Robin took his job as leader very seriously and took personal responsibility for the safety of his comrades and friends. So having an unknown variable like the demon swordsman around was really ruffling his feathers so to speak. He probably should have been interrogating the demon right now making him tell them where he had came from and why he was here, but he decided to wait for everyone to finish eating. Partly because of his sense of manners, and partly due to Raven's less-than-subtle-threat which was still fresh in his mind. So he decided to just enjoy his meal and settle for keeping an eye on Zeruge for now. _One things for sure,_ he thought to himself taking a swig of iced tea, _this is sure to be an interesting couple of days_.

Huzzah! I've finally updated my story (blows a noisemaker). I hope this chapter was worth the wait everyone. I promise I will update much sooner in the future. Why, if I work hard enough, I could get the next chapter posted sometime this year LOL. Next chapter everyone's dying to know about the mysterious demon swordsman Zeruge. But before the Q and A can begin an old enemy hits the scene with an arsenal of new toys he's dying to try out on a certain team of teenage superheroes (hmm, I wonder who they could be?). Will the Teen Titans be able to defeat this dastardly villain's newest weapon of destruction? Or will Zeruge have to put up his dukes and come to the rescue? It's my first big fight scene of the story and if you thought Zeruge was badass before. Wait until you see what he does when he really gets mad! Read and review as always guys your feedback means a lot to me. Ta-ta for now!


	4. Chapter 4

The Girl Who Loved a Monster 

By Metal Overlord 2.0

Hello again everyone! I figured that if I got an early start on my next chapter I could get it posted sooner. Thanks again to everyone who's been reviewing, we first time writers need all the support we can get! I'd also like to take a moment to thank my mom for her enormous help to me. She's a huge Lord of The Rings fan and is also a bookworm in every sense of the word so she has a wealth of information about writing and a great deal of ideas for me (half of the dialogue I use for Raven I get from some of the stuff she says around the house believe it or not) She's kind of a role model for me and I hope to grow up to be just like her, well, minus the whole obsession with elves :) Anyhow, I just wanted to show my gratitude to everyone who's helped me make this story possible. Speaking of which, I think it's high time I quit yapping and let you read the freaking story. That IS why you guys are here so without further adieu, enjoy!

It's funny how quickly one's luck can change. Just ask Zeruge the demon swordsman. Just the other day he had been locked in a tomb in Japan when he had been freed from his imprisonment by Raven, a powerful sorceress of the dark arts who had a figure that packed almost as much of a punch as her magic and a razor edged wit to match. After Zeruge had fallen asleep from a poison arrow courtesy of a skeleton warrior guarding the tomb Raven had taken Zeruge to her home in Jump City (why it was named that, he hadn't the slightest idea. The last time he checked cities did not jump. At least, they didn't back in his day) and had watched over him while he slept. After waking up a few days later he had wandered off searching for food. What he found instead was the other inhabitants of the tower Raven lived in, a band of teenage crime fighters called the Teen Titans which were the keepers of the peace in Jump City working to protect their home from evildoers. Which, as it so happened, was exactly what they had thought Zeruge was and had attacked him.

After some squabbling, destruction of private property, and a fair amount of screaming Raven had shown up and had prevented Zeruge from winding up stuffed and mounted in the Titan's living room. After a bit of negotiating Raven had managed to have the Titans hold off on questioning the demon until after a lunch break. This turned out to be an opportunity for Zeruge to discover his apparent taste for Tamaranian cuisine after he devoured all of his food, everyone else's food, some silverware, and a few pieces of the table. At the moment he was sitting with Raven having a cup of herbal tea with her getting caught up on his surroundings. "So this is America huh? I always wondered what it was like. It's very…shiny." Zeruge said taking a sip of tea. Raven nodded pouring another cup from the pot steam wafting from the spout as she filled the cup with the green liquid.

"Yeah, it's probably a bit of a culture shock to you but you get used to it. Everything may have a shiny new look to it but in all honesty things haven't changed all that much despite the advance in technology. People still go to and from their homes to work. Children still go to schools to learn how to live in the real world. And of course," She said glancing over at Beast-Boy who was at the moment trying to make Cyborg squirt milk out of is nose with his arsenal of less than hilarious jokes. "We still have our village idiots only nowadays they come in a variety of colors." She said dryly. Zeruge snickered finding Raven's dry sense of humor very entertaining. "It must be hard trying to keep your head straight in a zoo like this." He said shaking his head at the lunacy of Raven's home and companions. "You have no idea. There are days when I wonder why I even got out of bed in the morning." She said sipping her tea. As they had been talking Raven had been debating asking Zeruge a fairly important question but had been hesitant to ask. But now seemed as good a time as ever.

"Um, Zeruge?" Raven asked quietly. "Yes miss Raven?" Zeruge replied looking right into her midnight blue eyes. Zeruge was never very good at reading other people's thoughts but it was clear that the sorceress had something on her mind. "Well I was wondering. What are you going to do now that you're free from your tomb? I mean, what are you planning to do with your life?" She asked. Zeruge thought about it for a few minutes before replying his decision. "Hmm, good question. Well, to be honest, I kind of wanted to stay here and be with you." He said bluntly. Raven, who at the moment had been taking a sip of her tea, suddenly spat out her herbal tea sputtering and coughing. Of the possible answers she had expected she hadn't seen this one coming by a long shot. "Uh, c-could you define 'be with' please I'm not sure I'm following you." She squeaked wondering if by 'be with' he meant as a friend as a pet or…well needless to say Raven was imagining a few scenarios not all of them appropriate for a young lady.

To Raven's shock Zeruge got out of his chair and got down on one knee in front of her like a peasant addressing a queen his head bowed respectfully. "Miss Raven, you have done so much for me I don't know if I could ever be able to repay you in one lifetime. You have given me back my freedom and my life and have shown me nothing but kindness and compassion despite my monstrous appearance. I owe you my life. And so I ask you, no, I beg you, will you allow me to atone for my actions in the past by fighting at your side?" He asked solemnly. Raven just sat there her mouth moving but no sound coming out. The other Titans just sat there too shell shocked for words. Except for Starfire who decided to have another one of her famous 'I-can't-believe-she-said-that' moments. "Oh my Glorthog is friend Zeruge asking friend Raven to marry him! Oh what a joyous day this is! May I be the girl of flowers?" Starfire asked excitedly. This proved to be the last straw for Raven's nerves. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell off her chair and hit the ground out like a light.

"Oops, was it something I said?" Zeruge asked blinking in confusion. "Uh, I think you came on a little too strongly dawg." Cyborg said trying to keep from bursting into laughter. "Yeah, hey maybe you should give her mouth to mouth Zeruge. That should wake her right up." Beast-Boy said turning into a Hyena and rolling on the floor laughing. Zeruge looked thoughtfully at Raven who was still presently unconscious on the floor. "You think so? Hmm, that might not be a bad idea, maybe I should try it." Zeruge said kneeling down next to Raven. Robin, realizing that this could lead to utter disaster (not to mention the possibility of the unsuspecting demon getting blown to bits) leapt out of his chair with the agility and grace that he was famous for and managed to yank Zeruge away from Raven before he could attempt to revive her. "Whoa! Easy there Zeruge I don't think that's such a hot idea." Robin said. Zeruge looked at him confused. "Why not? Your comrade Beast-Boy suggested that this would help wake miss Raven up." "Yeah, it would wake her up alright, but then she'd probably rip your head off and use it as a Soccer ball. Raven's not to keen on the whole touching thing." Robin explained shooting a look at Beast-Boy who was still snickering.

"Oh," Zeruge said simply not having considered that possibility. "In that case what should I do? This seems to have been partly my fault." He said. Robin shrugged. "My advice? Find something to hide behind and do some really fast explaining because when Raven wakes up I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of screaming and flying furniture." Robin said sagely. Zeruge gulped nervously having been on the receiving end of Raven's wrath before. "Oh, I uh, I see. Do you really think it's going to be that-" Zeruge started to say before Raven began to stir. Her midnight blue eyes fluttered open her vision swimming back into focus. "Unnhh, wh-what happened?" Raven murmured dazed. The shock of having Zeruge seemingly propose to her had caused her brain to go into a mental shutdown leaving her groggy and disoriented. However her mind immediately rebooted upon seeing a familiar pair of yellow and black eyes looking directly down at her. "Oh, good you're awake Master Raven. I was beginning to worry." He said giving a relieved grin flashing his full set of fangs.

Confronted with the source of her traumatic experience face-to-face Raven did what anyone would have done: She took a deep breath and screamed bloody murder. This in turn scared the crap out of Zeruge who screamed as well leaving the two screaming their lungs out in comic unison. Overcoming his initial surprise Zeruge threw himself down on the ground as Raven used her powers to grab a chair and swing it at Zeruge's head like a club. "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU CREEP!" Raven yelled hurling the lunch table at him. Had he still been malnourished Zeruge would have ended up with a table shoved up his left nostril, however since he was now back at full strength he teleported out of the way the telekinetically charged table smashing through the wall behind him leaving a large hole in the wall. "Why does this stuff always have to happen to meACK!" Zeruge squawked as he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall by means of a barrage of kitchen utensils piercing the wall around him framing his outline like he was in a cartoon. However the promise of pain in Raven's eyes as she advanced threateningly towards her target was very much real as Zeruge found out when a tendril of energy wrapped around him squeezing him like a python.

"Okay buster let's get one thing straight: I'm grateful to you for saving my life and I'll admit I don't mind having you around but if you think that means I'm just going to throw myself at you like some air-headed groupie at a rock star and pledge my eternal love and adoration till death do us part you have got one HELL of another thing coming!" She growled tightening her grip on him. "I…wasn't…trying…to…propose, to, you! I was…pledging…my…allegiance!" Zeruge squeaked. Raven's anger diminished and was replaced by confusion. "You were? But I though I heard that you were asking me to marry you?" She said uncertainly. "Um, I'm afraid I may have been responsible for that friend Raven. When I saw Zeruge kneel before you and speak the words of tenderness I thought that he was asking for your hand in marriage. Perhaps I was too hasty in my assumption?" Starfire asked sheepishly.

It took a few seconds for this information to sink in for Raven leaving her with the realization that she was currently strangling the life out of Zeruge for no apparent reason other than a simple case of mixed signals. "Oops, uh sorry about that Zeruge, my bad." She said lamely releasing her death grip on the poor demon who fell in a heap on the floor gasping for breath like a fish out of water. "It's (gasp) okay Master Raven. I'm (wheeze) starting to get used to being in a constant state (hack) of pain." He panted rubbing his throat. "Um, by the way, what did you mean by calling me Master Raven anyway?" Raven asked helping Zeruge to his feet. "Well like I was trying to explain earlier before that whole marriage thing reared it's ugly head, I wanted to show my appreciation for your kindness by pledging my loyalty to you. In my day warriors would repay kind deeds bestowed to them by noblemen or feudal lords by offering their services to them as their loyal servants. I was not asking for your hand in marriage as miss Starfire had thought I was." He explained curtly.

"Oh, okay, I guess that makes sense." Raven said feeling mortified for throttling the poor demon within an inch of his life. _Wow, first you yell at him, then you electrocute him, then you throw furniture and kitchen utensils at him and then you try and strangle him to death, you really must have the hots for Zeruge, you normally don't give guys nearly this much attention _part of her mind said wryly, probably Happy or Brave, when it came to awkward situations like this she could never tell them apart. "I apologize if I offended you Master Raven. I was only trying to show my gratitude for your generosity, I didn't mean to upset you." Zeruge said dusting himself off as though this happened all the time to him. "No, it's okay. It's just I'm not used to guys throwing themselves at my feet." Raven said raising an eyebrow. An impish grin appeared on Zeruge's face. "Really? Wow, with a figure like that I would have thought you'd be beating men off with a stick." Zeruge said with a sly, lazy grin on his face.

Raven yanked her hood over her face in an effort to conceal the bright red blush creeping over her though it would be a little harder to cover up the random pieces of furniture that were suddenly deciding that now was the perfect moment to spontaneously combust. At the rate Zeruge was playing with her buttons it was unclear whether she was going to kill him or kiss him, nor did she know which she would enjoy more. "Oh, uh, th-thanks. Um, by the way, why is it that you've decided to call me Master Raven anyway?" She asked in a desperate effort to change the subject. She got an answer all right, but not one that she was expecting. "Well, in all of my long years on this planet I have never met a woman who wielded such incredible power. It is nothing short of remarkable that I would bear witness to such a curiosity." He said bluntly unaware that he had not only just put both feet in his mouth, but also both his legs. Well, as you can probably imagine, this didn't go over with Raven too well. "And just what is THAT supposed to mean huh?" Raven said her blush being replaced by a look that promised yet another heaping helping of hurt for poor Zeruge.

"Uh-oh, we better find some cover this could get messy." Robin said nervously. Raven was tolerant of a lot of things, but sexism wasn't one of them, even if it was probably unintended. "Yes, perhaps we should flee for the hills as you Earth people say?" Starfire added hoping that Raven wouldn't mangle Zeruge too badly. Realizing his mistake Zeruge started to backpedal as Raven advanced on him one stomp at a time. "Ah, well you see what I meant to say was-" He started to say before Raven cut him off. "Oh I know exactly what you meant devil boy. What, just because I'm a girl I can't be as strong as a guy can? Maybe I should show you just how much incredible power I have when I use it to kick your ass." Raven growled cracking her knuckles. Zeruge bumped into the wall behind him leaving him boxed in walls to the left and right of him and one very irritated sorceress in front of him. In the face of imminent dismemberment Zeruge decided to try his last resort: groveling. Throwing himself down at her feet Zeruge kissed her feet like a lowly peasant begging his queen for his life, which wasn't that far from the truth.

"Oh PLEASE don't kill me Master Raven! I can't bear another thrashing! I'll do anything you want just please let me live!" He begged hugging her legs for dear life. Raven looked down at Zeruge her anger fading to amusement. In all honesty she wasn't that mad at him, but she still had a reputation to keep and she didn't want to appear too soft around Zeruge in front of the others. "Anything?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Zeruge nodded still curled up in a fetal position at her feet. Raven thought for a moment deliberately taking her time enjoying watching the demon squirm. "Hmm, well, I guess you have been through enough physical abuse for one day. I suppose I COULD let you live," She said causing Zeruge to give a huge sigh of relief. "BUT," She continued. "I expect you to be nice and respectful to your master like a good little servant, understand?" She said in an imperial tone really getting into the act. "Yes Master Raven, I promise I will not insult you again." Zeruge said reverently bowing at her feet. He sounded like he meant it so Raven decided to cut him some slack, but not until she had one last bit of fun with her new 'pet'.

"Oh you're going to have to do better than that Zeruge. How about saying this: 'Master Raven is the goddess of the universe'." Raven said a wicked grin on her face. Zeruge looked at Raven slack jawed. "You've got to be kidding." He said looking at her like she had just sprouted an extra head. Raven gave a little pout and used her powers to yank on his ears. "YEOWCH! Not the ears! Anything but the ears!" He yelped. "Say it," Raven pressed giving a little tug on his right ear. "Ow! Okay, okay, (ahem) Master Raven is the goddess of the universe." He said bowing his head as much as he could without further tugging on his ears. "A little louder please." Raven said sweetly pretending to examine her fingernails. "Master Raven is the goddess of the universe." Zeruge repeated louder this time. "One more time and add a little flourish to it this time." She said deciding to release her grip on his ears. Zeruge gave a sigh and bowed down to her. "Master Raven is the goddess of the universe. She is known throughout the cosmos for her strength, beauty and intelligence. I live only to worship the ground on which she walks." He said in an exasperated tone.

Satisfied Raven knelt down and scratched Zeruge behind the ears. "Very good Zeruge! Oh your such a good boy, yes you are, yes you are." Raven cooed as though she was talking to a dog that had just been housebroken. "Ugh, maybe I was better off in the tomb after all." Zeruge grumbled to himself. "What was that Zeruge?" Raven asked innocently. "Nothing Master Raven." He replied hastily giving a big fake smile. "That's what I thought." She said giving the demon a pat on the head. The other Titans just stood there thunderstruck for the umpteenth time today. "Uh-oh, I think Raven just found her ego. Now we're REALLY in trouble." Robin gulped. Starfire however, was positively jovial upon discovering this latest form of boy/girl interaction. "Oh what a fascinating display of affection! I had no idea one could present fondness and adoration through humiliation and threats of physical abuse! Friend Robin, may I be your goddess?" Starfire asked.

Upon hearing this Robin came close to bursting a blood vessel. "WHAT?" Robin exclaimed his eyes bugging out of his mask. "I would like to be your goddess friend Robin. You may begin with the bowing of the head and the words of praise please." Starfire said curtly pointing to a spot on the ground in front of her as though she expected him too, to fall to his knees and worship the ground on which she walked. Robin however, wasn't quite sure he was ready to convert to the church of Starfire just yet. "S-Starfire? I-I'm not sure how to say this b-but-" Robin said tugging at the collar of his uniform. Starfire cocked her head to one side puzzled. "Is something wrong friend Robin?" She asked unaware of the current nervous breakdown the Boy Wonder was suffering. "Well, actually Starfire what I'm trying to say is-" He said before Starfire cut him off. "Oh! I understand friend Robin. There is no need to explain yourself." She said suddenly taking a more serious tone. "You, you do?" Robin asked incredulously, wondering if maybe Starfire wasn't nearly as naïve as she let on.

However her next few words pretty much rendered these hopeful thoughts moot and void. "Yes, you wish for me to do the bowing and words of praise to you yes?" She inquired her apparent moment of clarity evaporating with another of her large dopey smiles. It was all Robin could do to not do a face plant on the floor. As this whole scene played itself out Cyborg and Beast-Boy were sitting on the sidelines enjoying the show. "Aw man, this is better than cable!" Cyborg crowed munching on a tub of popcorn. "Tell me about it, Robin hasn't been this flustered since that date he was forced to go on with Kitten." Beast-Boy said turning into a parrot and plucking a popcorn kernel with his claw and nibbling at it with his beak. "Hey get out of there you little grass stain that's mine, go find your own." Cyborg said swatting at Beast-Boy.

Beast-Boy in turn gave an indignant squawk and flew to the top of Cyborg's bald head and promptly crapped on him before flying off. "Oh that's real nice." Cyborg grumbled taking a napkin and wiping Beast-Boy's 'present' off of his head. Beast-Boy stuck his tiny tongue out at Cyborg not noticing the wall right in front of him until he ran smack right into it. Cyborg watched Beast-Boy turn back to normal and slide off the wall before landing on the ground dazed. "Well, what do you know." He said resuming his snacking "There is justice in the world.". Suddenly a blaring alarm went off throughout the tower indicating that somewhere somehow a dastardly villain/blood thirsty mutant/natural disaster/alien menace was threatening the peace and stability of Jump City. To Zeruge's oversensitive ears all it meant was one hell of a headache. "Oh my aching ears, what is that god forsaken racket!" Zeruge growled holding his head in irritation the blaring alarm sounding to him like a dump truck going through a nitroglycerin plant. "You okay?" Raven asked noticing the pained look on the demon's face.

Zeruge opened one eye and gave her a weak smile. "Well if whoever is taking a sledgehammer to my eardrums would take a lunch break I'd be just peachy." He said somewhat irritably. "Sorry about that," She said hitting a switch on the wall killing the alarm. "That better devil boy?" She said giving him a little scratch behind the ears. "Much better thank you Master Raven." He said with a purr. She gave a tiny smile and patted him on the head. "Good, I wouldn't want my little servant disgruntled now would I?" She asked playfully. Meanwhile Robin was already at the computer typing away furiously trying to get a pinpoint on the location of the disturbance. "Looks like there was an attack in the middle of downtown, from the info I'm getting off of police radios a giant robot came out of nowhere and started tearing the place apart." He said scrolling through the incoming data. Raven rolled her eyes. "Really? Gee, a giant robot rampaging through a major metropolitan area, you don't see that everyday." She said reacting to the news as one might to hearing that their less-than-loveable in laws were coming over for a surprise visit. In other places such an event would be seen as monumental at least but for the Titans, who had to deal with all manner of nasty threats on a daily basis, this was about as significant as watching paint dry.

"We better get going, the longer we stay here dilly-dallying the more people are going to get hurt. Let's move people!" Robin said now in full 'hero' mode. "What about him?" Cyborg asked pointing to Zeruge who was just standing there looking clueless as to what was going on. Robin paused thinking hard for a minute before giving a shrug. "I guess we better take him with us so we can keep an eye on him. I'm still not ready to leave Zeruge to his own devices without being supervised." Robin said hesitantly. "Yes friend Zeruge, you must join us for the kicking of butt!" Starfire exclaimed enthusiastically. Zeruge gave a toothy grin and clanged his gauntlets together the noise sounding like a gong. "It's about time I saw a little action around here! I haven't had a good scrap in centuries!" He said with an almost child-like enthusiasm. "Hey uh guys? One problem here." Cyborg butted in getting the other's attention. "What's wrong Cyborg?" Robin asked. The bionic teen athlete poked a thumb in Zeruge's direction. "How's tall dark and gruesome going to fit in the T-Car? He doesn't exactly look like he's made for tight spaces and the car's not built for six." He observed.

"Heh, maybe Raven should sit in Zeruge's lap?" Beast-Boy offered making both Raven and Zeruge turn a lovely shade of scarlet. If looks could kill the death glare that Raven was giving Beast-Boy would have left him a smoking pile on the floor. "Or not," Beast-Boy said gulping. Zeruge just gave an amused snicker earning a similar glare from Raven turning it into a cough. "If it's alright with all of you I'd prefer to fly. I could use the exercise." He said curtly. "Oh, okay I guess that could work." Robin said thoughtfully. "But how are we going to keep track of him? Or what if he loses sight of the T-Car and gets lost? It's a big city and we don't exactly have all day to track him down." Cyborg pointed out. "Trust me Cyborg it's going to be hard to not notice a six foot tall winged demon flying around. And the T-Car isn't exactly easy to miss. How many other cars in this city have laser cannons built into the trunk?" Robin asked raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me for interrupting boys," Raven said tapping her foot lightly. "But I can't help but think we should be going while there's, you know, still a city to save?" Raven asked dryly. Robin and Cyborg exchanged sheepish looks. "Oh, right, sorry" Robin said rubbing the back of his head.

A while later the T-Car was racing through the streets of Jump City with the Titans piled inside while Zeruge flew behind them. Raven didn't notice her newfound pet following them she was too busy trying to keep her tea down as Cyborg made one gut wrenching turn after the next while he was singing along to his favorite Ricky martin CD. "Do you think maybe you could slow down if it's not to much to ask?" She said irritably feeling like she left her stomach behind a few miles back. "Aw suck it up girl, do you want to get there in time or what? You said yourself we should get going and that's just what I'm doing!" He said yanking the steering wheel hard to the right narrowly avoiding an oncoming truck. The driver leaned out and gave them the one-fingered salute, which Cyborg promptly returned. "Pedestrians," He muttered as he drove down an alleyway and out into another road sending trash cans flying. "You save there lives nine hundred times but get them behind the wheel of a car and they give you no respect." He complained driving right through a red light (the twelfth one by Raven's count) and winding through the maze of traffic and neon lights with the skill and coordination of a NASCAR driver (the ones that didn't burst into flames).

"Oh believe me Cyborg I've no doubt we'll get there in time at this rate but the real question is: Will we still be in one piece?" Raven said cringing at the sound of squealing tires as Cyborg went around a snare of traffic by driving across the sidewalk nearly running over a homeless person's feet as he drove by. "I believe friend Raven has a point friend Cyborg. I am not ready to depart this worldly plane and join Glorthog up in Vladskazar just yet so perhaps you could cease with the hauling of ass?" Starfire said as she clutched the arm rests on her seat hard enough to turn her knuckles white. "Okay, okay. Sheesh, you guys need to loosen up a little." He said begrudgingly easing up slightly on the pedal so now they were only driving at a tenth of the speed of sound. "It's a little hard to loosen up when you have a snake wrapped around your head." Robin said somewhat irritably and rightly so. Beast-Boy was in the form of a cobra and was currently coiled tightly around Robin's head like a turban holding on for dear life.

"Is he still freaked out after I almost hit that old lady with the poodle? For the last time man she walked right out in front of me, how was I supposed to see her?" He said defensively. "God forbid an old woman should walk her dog in the middle of a park that you happened to suddenly decide would make a great short cut if we cut right through it. Thank Azar Zeruge was able to grab her in time or we would have wound up with somebody's grandmother plastered to the windshield." Raven replied grateful for the demon's assistance and irritated at Cyborg's less-than-refined method of driving. "Hey! It was either that or go through the tunnels and at this time of night by the time we'd get to downtown there wouldn't be anything left to save. If you don't like it you can walk home sister." Cyborg said glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

Raven muttered something under her breath about men using fast cars to compensate for their slow brains and fell silent looking out the window at Zeruge. Despite the speed that they were going at (which was which was currently about four times the speed limit) Zeruge was able to keep up the pace almost effortlessly. She had to admit it was an impressive sight seeing him soar through the air like an enormous bat his black armor gleaming in the moonlight. Pulling out her communicator she flipped it open and pressed the talk button setting it to the same frequency as the one they had given the demon swordsman before leaving. "How you holding up big guy?" She asked managing to keep herself from saying 'over'. "Well I think I swallowed a pigeon a few miles back but other than that I'm fine. Hell of a view up here. How about you?" He inquired flying by an apartment building scaring the bejeezus out of a man in green pajamas who was watering his plants on the window sill. "Let's just say I'm having some serious reconsiderations about driving back home with Cyborg at the wheel. Hope you wouldn't mind some company on the flight back." She said glancing at Cyborg who was tapping his hands on the steering wheel in rhythm to the music.

Zeruge gave a wide smile. "I'd like that, it's a little lonely up here without you Master Raven. I do so miss your charming sense of humor. Let me know when we get there." He said signing off. Raven gave the faintest of smiles before putting away her communicator and closing her eyes to catch a few moments of meditation. "You are feeling affection for him aren't you friend Raven?" Starfire asked breaking Raven's focus and directing her now flushed gaze upon Starfire. "Wh-what makes you say that?" She said her cheeks turning pink. Starfire gave a smile that was anything but innocent. "While I may be naïve as to the ways of Earth folk, there are some things," She said glancing out the window at Zeruge. "That are universal in nature." She intoned mysteriously. Still blushing Raven crossed her arms giving Starfire what she hoped was a skeptical look. "Not that it's any of your business but Zeruge and I are just friends that's all." She declared with a note of finality in her voice. Starfire however was not easily dissuaded. "I see, then I suppose you having friend Zeruge get on his hands and knees and praise you as a goddess was just a display of friendship?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Raven's blush turned from pink to scarlet in record time. Unable to think of a snappy comeback, surely a sign of the apocalypse, she merely gave Starfire a half-hearted glare and went silent.

Before Starfire could press her inquiries about Raven's possibly flourishing romantic life the car suddenly screeched to a halt introducing Raven's face to the back of Cyborg's seat for a brisk meet-and-greet. "OW! Easy on the breaks Cyborg I'd rather not break my-huh?" Raven stopped in mid rant seeing several people run by the car screaming hysterically. One of them had gotten right in front of the car forcing Cyborg to swerve to the side to avoid changing their motto from 'protect and serve' to 'pulverize and scrape off the windshield'. "Why are they fleeing like frightened Doonkul bugs before a Howerlian Screecher Bird?" Starfire asked looking back at the panicking civilians. "Maybe they heard I was coming so they went to get their autograph books." Beast-Boy offered lamely. Not even bothering to acknowledge that last comment Raven poked her head out of the window and glanced behind them in the direction the people had come running from. "Actually," She said calmly despite what she was seeing. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say they were running from that." She observed pointing a finger.

Tearing it's way up the street smashing everything in it's path was the aforementioned giant robot, though from the looks of it the term 'robot' only seemed to vaguely describe the metallic horror skittering towards them. The machine seemed to be a twenty-foot tall mechanized chimera of a spider, a preying mantis, a mosquito and just a smidge of giant squid constructed entirely in jet black steel. It clambered forward on eight long armored legs supporting a broad upper body that had six long tentacles the thickness of fire hoses sprouting from it's back writhing and whipping around like a nest of vipers. It had two huge arms that ended in wicked looking scythe blades glowing with a crimson energy held close to it's chest like a boxer. The head was primarily composed of a blocky mess of blood red camera lenses that swiveled around extending and then retracting at random intervals as though each lens had a mind of it's own and was seeking a new target. In the middle of the lenses was a six foot long laser cannon whichpoked out like the proboscis of a mosquito.

As though sensing the presence of the Titans the robot's lenses all swiveled around their searchlights bearing on the T-Car. The machine threw back its head and made a most un-machine like shriek sounding like a bird screaming in pain. "Well," Raven said at last breaking the stunned silence. "Looks like somebody's been busy." She said unfazed by the horrid mechanical goliath as it stomped its way towards them flattening cars in its wake like soda cans. No sooner had she said this than the end of the machine's needle like mouth began to glow a sickly green. A whine began to fill the air growing increasingly shriller sounding like a dentist drill magnified by a hundred. "Um, do you think maybe we should get out of the way? Guys?" Beast-Boy asked his voice cracking slightly as the realization that his life just might be in danger somehow managing to make it's way into his somewhat dense skull. However looking around he saw he was alone in the car, everyone else had already taken off and were taking cover behind overturned cars and alleyways.

Beast-Boy looked back and found himself looking right down the barrel of the robot's laser which was now a brilliant emerald green. Dazzled by the beautiful but deadly energy build up he did his best impression of a deer in the headlights of a speeding car just sitting there a vacant expression on his face. Just as the laser fired it's lethal payload at the T-Car a pair of hands wrenched Beast-Boy out of his seat hurling him out of harm's way. The laser blasted the T-Car turning it into a flaming husk the only thing keeping it in one piece was the extra strong metallic alloy Cyborg had used to build the inner frame preventing it from being reduced to complete scrap. Beast-Boy, realizing that he was not yet dead, opened his eyes and looked up at his rescuer who turned out to be none other than Zeruge. "Wow, uh, hey, thanks." Beast-Boy said still a little rattled at his near death experience. "No problem, just try not to do something that stupid too often. I can't be looking after Master Raven and you at the same time now can I?" Zeruge joked ruffling Beast-Boy's hair. "Naw, not unless you can clone yourself too." The green shape shifter said getting over his shot nerves and breaking into a goofy grin. "I wish." Zeruge said the two of them breaking into laughter.

"Friend Beast-Boy! You are still amongst the living!" Starfire exclaimed grabbing Beast-Boy in one of her bone breaking bear hugs. "Not for long if you don't let me go Starfire, I think you're rupturing my spleen!" He croaked his eyes bugging out. "We thought you were in a million fuzzy green pieces when that laser hit the car." Robin said poking his head out from behind the remains of a smashed Cadillac. "Naw, Zeruge bailed me out in time." Beast-Boy said pointing a thumb at the demon. The next thing he knew he too was receiving his very own Tamaranian bear hug. "Oh, thank you friend Zeruge! We are so grateful for you saving friend Beast-Boy's life!" She bubbled. "It was nothing really, now if you could just let me go so I can breathe again…" Zeruge said wondering just how many times today he was going to get throttled like this. "I'm glad to see your okay Beast-Boy." Robin said giving a relieved smile. Raven cleared her throat loudly nudging him hard in the ribs. "OW! Okay, okay, thank you Zeruge for saving him by the way." He said at last rubbing his side.

Cyborg however, wasn't paying attention to the others his mind had finally wrapped around the destruction of his car, his pride and joy, and he was not happy about it in the least. "MY BABY! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY BABY YOU RUSTY STEAM DRIVEN PILE OF CRAP! WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH OF YOU LEFT TO MAKE A TOASTER!" Cyborg roared his nostrils flaring like a bull looking like he was a hair's breath from charging their mechanized assailant all on his own with cannons blazing. As if in response to Cyborg's insult the machine reared up the plates on it's armored chest sliding apart revealing a huge television monitor with speakers built in on the sides. In a burst of static a blurry figure appeared on the screen eventually coming into focus revealing a wizened old Asian man with long wispy strands of white hair, pale sickly skin and bulging red goggles covering his eyes dressed in a bulky white lab suit.

Seeing Cyborg's fury the old man's face split into an appalling grin. "Oops, so sorry dear boy, was that your car my new toy just destroyed? Oh, too bad, I don't think the standard automobile insurance policy covers destruction by armored war machines." The man said breaking into a fit of haggard wheezing laughter. "Chang," Robin growled pulling out his Bo Staff and brandishing it at the image of the old man. "I should have known you might be involved with this. Senseless destruction always was one of your favorite pastimes." He spat. Upon seeing Robin Chang's grin, had it already been ear to ear, would have split his face with mirth. "Ah, if it isn't good boy Robin and all his little friends. I'm so pleased you could come, I was hoping you would notice my little…invitation." He intoned malevolently. "Invitation? You terrorized innocent people just to draw us out?" Robin asked outraged.

Chang gave a shrug. "Well, it's not like I could have sent you a letter now could I? Besides, I wanted to run a few tests on my new weapon before using it on you. Tell me, what do you think? After you destroyed my Disintegrator Cannon I decided to try a little more creative outlet for my intellect. What you see before you is one of my greatest achievements. Every little inch of it was designed with your destruction in mind. Though I must admit," Chang's gave traveled over Zeruge and stayed there a look of curiosity crossing his wrinkled face. "I didn't expect you to bring someone else to the party." The robot leaned forward allowing Chang a better look at this curious new addition to the Teen Titans. Suddenly a look of recognition passed over Chang's face as though he had just noticed a celebrity in his midst. "Oho! As I live and breathe, an Oni! I never thought I'd live to see one with my own eyes." The old man crowed looking positively gleeful. "A what? Poni? Jeez pal you really must be senile. Zeruge's not a horse, he doesn't have hooves." Beast-Boy said as though Chang was the idiot and not him. Chang gave a sigh as though talking to a three year old. "Oni, not poni you little green gnat! An Oni is a demon native to Japan, I remember my grandmother used to tell me stories about them when I was a lad." He said wistfully a look of nostalgia on his face.

Finding the image of Chang as a child severely creepy Raven decided to bring an end to the trip down memory lane. "I hate to ruin this little history lesson," She said impatiently, "But could you just cut the monolog and get to the part where we kick your shriveled gray ass?" She demanded. Rather than take offense at this Chang seemed even chipper than before. "Ah, I see the pretty young girl is in a hurry to die. Fair enough I was getting bored anyway. Talk is cheap, but agonized screams," The machine clanked forward cleaving a street lamp clean in half with a flick of one of it's laser blades. "Is absolutely priceless. Have fun children. I hope you have a killer time." With this Chang broke into another fit of ghastly nasal laughter. Suddenly a black blade flashed through the air smashing the screen to bits. The machine screeched in rage sparks flying from the ruined monitor. Looking over her shoulder Raven saw Zeruge stand there a disgusted look on his face. "You know I was kind of hoping there wouldn't be people like that still around these days but I guess some things never change." He said with a disappointed sigh.

Raven shrugged. "Yeah, but hey, that's what were here for. So," She said eyeing the blade directly embedded in the machines chest. "Ready to earn your keep?" She asked raising an eyebrow. By means of a reply Zeruge reached out with an outstretched claw. In a burst of flame the sword disappeared and reappeared in the demon's grasp. He twirled the blades around before crossing them in front of him in an 'X'. "Just try and stop me. An enemy of my master is an enemy of mine." He growled his eyes narrowing. "Down boy, we need Robin's approval before we can turn you loose. Well Boy Blunder? Can the new guy join in on the fun?" Raven asked the corner of her mouth in a lopsided grin. Robin glanced at Zeruge, then at the towering monstrosity before them, and gave a shrug. "Why not? Looks like there's plenty to go around." He said his famous cocky smirk on his face. "Payback time baby! I'm going to rip that thing's head off and use it as a hood ornament. Nobody trashes MY ride and gets away with it!" Cyborg declared cocking his sonic cannons. "Yeah, what he said!" Beast-Boy said in agreement. "Then let us begin with the opening of the can of butt whoop! Friend Robin if you would please give the word." Starfire asked politely although her eyes were shining with emerald energy looking like she was ready to raise all kinds of hell. Robin grinned and nodded. "It would be my pleasure Starfire. TITANS! Uh, and Zeruge too," He added noticing the look Raven was giving him. "GO!" He cried out charging the deadly robot the others right behind him with their weapons drawn.

And so the battle was joined neither side noticing the figure perched on a rooftop looking down at the fight with large blood red eyes that shone like lanterns in hollow sockets. An eerie laughter erupted from the figure like the warbling distorted cackle of a Hyena as the figure took a long pull from a flask in his hand that smelled strongly of alcohol. A large crow was perched on the figure's other shoulder staring impassively down upon the Titans as they fought Chang's deadly robotic minion the little figures below meaning nothing to the bird aside from being pieces of meat that had yet to become available for the taking. "Quite a show eh Mr.Peckers? Too bad the boss is too busy to enjoy this, he always loves watching Zeruge in action." The figure said in a high squeaky voice the sound of several objects clinking together as he shifted his weight within the black trench coat he was wearing.

Out of nowhere a large hunting knife had appeared in the figures hand, which was clad in blood red leather gloves. As 'Mr. Peckers' watched with only a mild interest the figure began to perform a series of increasingly complicated knife tricks that would put even the most experienced knife fighter to shame. "Yep, easiest job in the world Mr. Peckers, all I got to do is sit right here, take some notes to see how Zeruge's doing after taking a snooze for the last seven centuries for the boss to analyze for god knows what, and badda bing badda boom bang bong! We're back on the boss's good side and he forgives us for that little detour we took at the morgue." The figure said taking another swig from his container before tossing it up in the air. Without even looking he reached into his coat and in a flash flung a handful of knives at the flask puncturing it in a straight line. The skewered flask tumbled downward before Mr. Peckers, temporarily distracted by the flask's shiny gleam, swooped down and caught it in his talons before it hit the ground carrying his prize back to his master's perch dropping it on the ground next to the figure.

"I don't know why he was so mad at me for swiping a few stiffs," Mr. Peckers gave a loud caw holding up two talons and making a slashing motion across it's throat with it's wing. "Oh yeah, I guess me killing those two morticians didn't put him in a good mood either, boss always was stingy about offing civilians." The figure added grudgingly. Mr. Peckers rolled his eyes wondering when the figure would quit whining. But apparently the figure wasn't done by a long shot. "Who does he think he is anyways?" The figure said louder now the alcohol seeming to have loosened his tongue. "How the heck does he expect me to do my experiments without fresh corpses? It's an outrage! I mean, cripes what does he expect me to do? Go to the super market and pick up a few packs of Kielbasa! Oh yeah that will make a great undead army." The figure said with a snort. Mr. Peckers had apparently decided he had had enough of his companion's drunken ranting so he flew over to the figure's head pecking him hard in the left temple pulling the figure out of his moment of righteous indignation. "OW! Okay, okay I'll shut up, sheesh you're almost as bad as my mother was." The figure grumbled before settling down to watch the action below unfold. Mr. Peckers gave a satisfied caw and resumed his perch on the figure's shoulder his beady eyes staring down hungrily waiting for the first sign of blood.

Uh-oh, looks like there's a new baddie in town! What connection does this mysterious new villain and his sidekick; the ominous Mr. Peckers have with Zeruge? And just who is this 'boss' of theirs hmm? Well, I could tell you but then that would be giving away the story now wouldn't it :) Anyhow, next chapter Zeruge and the Titans face off against Professor Chang's nasty new war machine. But the old fart's added a few special features to his new toy that might make it a bit more than the Titans can handle. Will they be able to save the day as they always have in the past? Or will a certain demon have to step in and come to the rescue of his beloved master? And just what is the strange figure lurking in the shadows up to anyway? Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see won't you? As always read and review I'm starved for attention! Ta-ta for now!


	5. Chapter 5

The Girl Who Loved a Monster 

By Metal Overlord 2.0

I'm baaack! Sorry this took so long to post I've been suffering a combined case of laziness, tight scheduling, and writer's block. But now I have finally graduated from my High School (believe it or not folks I'm only 18) and it's time for some serious R and R! Well, at least until my parents drag me kicking and screaming into the real world LOL Now that I don't have to worry about schoolwork for at least three months I figured it was high time I redirected my creative energies to my many loyal readers who have been kind enough to patiently wait for my next chapter in my fanfic. But I think I've rambled enough about myself so how about I quit yapping and let you read the story hmm? Enjoy!

"TITANS, GO!" Robin yelled as he charged the robot with his bird-a-rangs drawn hurling them at the machine's insect like head. With a sound like a hundred whips cracking simultaneously several of the tentacles on the machine's back swatted the projectiles out of midair while the rest lunged at Robin like striking cobras with incredible speed. "Oh, snap." Robin managed to say before barely dodging the flailing tentacles which pulverized the street where he had been standing only to find himself in the direct path of one of the machine's scythe blades as it swung at him in an attempt to remove the Boy Wonder's head from his shoulders. Acting purely on instinct Robin threw himself to the ground as the blade swung through the space where his head had been a second ago. Apparently believing that the third attempt to dismember Robin would do the trick the machine reared up on it's back legs like a horse before bringing two of it's front legs downward to crush it's elusive prey. Robin back flipped out of the way narrowly avoiding having his title changed from Boy Wonder to Boy Roadkill.

Enraged that it had been deprived of it's kill the robot let loose another bird like scream which was suddenly cut short by a barrage of starbolts and sonic blasts that pelted it's armored hide. Looking over his shoulder Robin spotted Starfire and Cyborg blasting away at there mechanize attacker from behind the cover of an overturned bus. Taking advantage of the robot's diverted attention Robin scrambled out of the line of fire and took cover behind the bus with Cyborg and Starfire. "Thanks for the save guys, I'm not sure I could have kept dodging that thing much longer." Robin panted wiping the sweat off his brow. "You are most welcome friend Robin." Starfire said taking a break from showering the attacking machine with her starbolts to flash him a cheerful smile before she resumed unleashing a torrent of emerald death. While the starbolts slowed it down somewhat the machine continued its advance its legs digging into the street to provide traction. The end of its mosquito snout began to glow a piercing emerald as it once more prepared to fire its laser weapon, an attack that had sent Cyborg's beloved car to the big garage in the sky not too long ago. "It's charging up its primary weapon! We've got to keep it from charging up to full power or we're dead meat!" Robin shouted over the thunderous din. "The hell it is!" Cyborg bellowed firing both of his sonic cannons while launching a salvo of guided missiles from his shoulders.

In a blur of speed the Titans had never expected the bulky machine to be capable of it lashed out with its energy scythes angling them so that they reflected both Cyborg's sonic beams and redirected them into the midst of the missiles blowing most of them to bits. The few missiles that did survive were easily knocked out of the air by the robot's tentacles all the while the laser continuing to charge. Cyborg yelled a word he generally didn't use in mixed company frustrated by his ineffective attempt to cripple the metal goliath. Thinking fast Robin tossed an exploding disk at the robots feet, which promptly blew up in its face just as the robot fired. The machine screeched angrily rearing back as the laser fired unleashing a huge beam of green energy, which streaked into the heavens like a shooting star. "Starfire! Cyborg! NOW!" Robin barked. Starfire fired her eye beams while Cyborg used his sonic cannon mustering all the power he could muster. The dual blasts hit the metallic monstrosity square in the chest sending it flying into the side of a building. It's legs twitching erratically like a spider that had just met the business end of a boot the robot peeled off the side of the building and landed in the street with a deafening crash making the few cars that hadn't been stomped flat or carved into steel confetti jump up in the air like overweight bullfrogs.

Starfire used her starbolts to blast away what was left of the building's support beams. With a tremendous groan of warping metal the entire building fell over onto the machine, which only had time to swivel its lenses around in its head at the falling building above it before it was crushed beneath the avalanche of rubble. "BOOYAHH! THAT WAS FOR MY BABY YOU TAPED TOGETHER HEAP OF SCRAP!" Cyborg yelled pumping his fists into the air wildly. "We are victorious!" Starfire cheered grabbing Robin in one of her spine bending bear hugs. "Erk! Getting a little hard to breathe Starfire." Robin said wincing at the sound of one of his ribs breaking. Nearby a dumpster rattled a familiar green skinned changeling poking his head out of the trash a banana peel perched on top of his head. "Is it safe to come out now?" He asked meekly looking around for signs of the robot before deciding to leave his hiding place. "Thanks for the help Beast-Boy, couldn't have done it without you." Robin said giving him an irritated look. "Hey! I was in reserve in case you guys needed me. Besides if that thing had blown you guys to smithereens someone had to live to tell the tale." Beast-Boy replied plucking the banana peel off his head.

"So is that why you smell like a compost heap? I just thought you were using a new cologne." A deadpan voice said from behind Beast-Boy making leap straight up with a yelp. Raven glided out of the shadows with Zeruge trailing behind her like an obedient hound. "For crying out loud Raven, are you trying to give me a heart attack! You scared the hell out of me!" Beast-Boy said clutching his heart. "Well that would explain why you smell like you lost control of your bladder." Zeruge said wryly his face breaking into a Cheshire cat grin. "I DID NOT WET MYSELF!" Beast-Boy yelled his face now an interesting mixture of green and red. "Actually Zeruge," Raven said unfazed by Beast-Boy's outburst. "I think that would be the diaper stuck to the bottom of his boot." She said raising an eyebrow. Beast-Boy glanced down and saw to his horror that there was indeed a freshly soiled baby's diaper underneath one of his feet. The other Titans watched amused as Beast-Boy promptly freaked out hopping around on one foot while flailing his other leg trying to get the diaper off without much success. It would have been easier if he had simply grabbed it with his hand and peeled it off but Beast-Boy obviously didn't want to touch the offending toilet article.

"So what have you two been up to while all this time anyway?" Robin asked the two demons after he had grown bored of Beast-Boy's diaper dance. "Maybe the lovebirds wanted some alone time together." Cyborg said a crooked grin on his face. Raven's right eye twitched visibly a nearby streetlight suddenly bending into a pretzel knot. "You know, it's funny but all of a sudden I have this incredible urge to kill something." She growled gnashing her teeth the look in her eyes promising Cyborg excruciating pain. "Easy Raven, let's not do anything rash here, I'm sure Cyborg didn't mea anything by that, now did you Cyborg?" Robin asked the bionic teen giving him a sideways glance. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that, my bad." Cyborg said lamely hoping he wasn't about to wind up in the recycle bin on a street curb. Thankfully it was Zeruge who swooped in to prevent any possible bloodshed, or in this case oil shed. "Now, now Master Raven, I'm sure Cyborg was only joking around, no harm no foul. I apologize that we were not able to lend our assistance but Master Raven wanted me to help her make sure all of the nearby civilians were out of harm's way. Though from the looks of it you've already finished without us." He said giving a disappointed sigh. Rolling her eyes Raven gave the demon a somewhat awkward pat on the shoulder having to stand on her toes to reach up. "There, there. I'm sure there will be other chances for you to prove your masculinity." She said dryly. "Yeah, I guess." He said sounding like a moping five year old nonetheless giving her a small smile, which she returned when the others weren't looking.

While the others had been talking Starfire, her mind wandering as it did at times, noticed something happening that the others had yet to realize was going on. "Um, forgive me for interrupting, but does anyone else feel a rumbling sensation in their feet?" She asked curiously. The Titans stopped talking and as they did they too began to feel a growing vibration in the ground. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is." Cyborg said with a groan. "Knowing our luck, it probably is." Raven said glumly. It had already been a long night and by the looks of things, it was going to get a lot longer. As if to reinforce her statement the mound of wreckage where the robot had been crushed underneath began to heave and swell as though giving birth to a mountain. Like worms from a patch of upturned soil a forest of black metal tentacles wriggled upwards from the cracks and crevices tossing the massive boulders of steel and concrete aside like discarded children's toys as they busily set to work excavating the metal behemoth from it's rubble strewn prison. Within a matter of seconds the tentacles had cleared away enough of the debris for the robot to heave it's massive bulk out of the crater shaking off the multiple tons of wreckage like a dog shedding water from it's coat. It clambered to its feet clashing its energy scythes together and screeching deafeningly into the night sky clearly ready to begin round two.

For a moment no one spoke. The shock of seeing that their efforts so far hadn't made so much as a dent in the mechanized monstrosity had stunned them into silence. "So, just out of curiosity, do we have a plan B?" Raven asked. Robin thought intensely the wheels in his head turning frantically as he tried to engineer a brilliant plan of attack. In the space of seconds he approached their current situation from dozens of different angles systematically whittling down the number of possible solutions. Then, just as it seemed he was out of ideas, he was struck by inspiration. "I've got it!" He said triumphantly smacking his fist into his palm for dramatic effect. "Great! So what's the plan?" Cyborg said feeling better knowing that Robin had a battle plan. "Well, judging by the situation, the best thing to do right now," Robin said the others leaning forward in anticipation. "Is run like hell!" He finished turning heel and tearing ass down a nearby street. The others did face plants having been under the assumption that their fearless leader had thought of a clever way to turn the tables on their resilient foe. "He's not a very good leader is he?" Zeruge asked Raven who was running a hand over her face. "Well he's sure as hell not getting any awards tonight I can tell you that." Raven grumbled wishing dearly that they could just beat this stupid robot so she could go home and take a nice hot bath and curl up in the bed with a good book and some tea. And maybe if she was in a good enough mood, she just might let Zeruge sleep in her room again to keep her company. She could almost see the demon curled up at the foot of her bed purring away as she scratched him behind the ears like an oversized housecat, the thought caused a tiny smile to tug at the corners of her mouth.

Suddenly an earsplitting shriek behind her made her whip her head around snapping her out of her wistful longings for comfort and relaxation and, truth be told a certain demon swordsman. The robot was charging them like a bull, well, that is if a bull had eight legs, tentacles and was made entirely out of metal anyway. It's energy blades were extended and its tentacles were flailing wildly as it smashed it's way up the street. "Um, perhaps friend Robin has the right idea. We do not seem to be doing any damage to the machine of sharp blades and tentacles so perhaps we should retreat for the time being and regroup when we are not in the immediate danger of a painful death?" Starfire offered. "Amen to that sister! Yo, Robin, wait for us!" Cyborg yelled sprinting after the Boy Wonder with Beast-Boy right on his heels in the form of a Cheetah. Starfire and Raven exchanged looks and shrugged before turning to go after the boys. But Zeruge however had yet to move. He got out his swords and stood right in the middle of the street a determined look in his eyes. "All right, let's see what you've go-ACK!" He yelped as Raven grabbed onto his ear and flew off taking the poor demon with her. "This is no time to play hero you big lummox! You could have been road kill!" Raven growled as she flew through the air after the Titans. They made one turn after another trying to elude their pursuer weaving a complicate path through the maze of alleyways and streets all the while Raven's hand still firmly grasping one of Zeruge's pointed ears.

"Ow! I could, ow, have done, ow, just fine, ow, if someone, ow, hadn't butted, ow, in and, ow, decided to, ow, USE MY EAR AS A CARRYING HANDLE!" Zeruge yelled angrily flapping his wings frantically in an attempt to keep up with the peeved sorceress lest she stretch out his ear like a piece of saltwater taffy. With every dip, curve and turn they made Zeruge gave a fresh yip of pain his eyes starting to water. "Well maybe if you hadn't decided that you were going to take on that robot single handedly then we wouldn't be in this situation now would we devil boy?" Raven shot back furious that he had done something so reckless and incredibly stupid, he could have been killed! _Wait, why am I getting so worked up over his safety? _She wondered confused at the unexpected feeling of concern and worry for the demon swordsman. The first time she had acted like this was when the others had discovered Zeruge thinking he was an enemy. And low and behold here she was again fretting over his well being like an overprotective parent. Sure he had proven that he was far from helpless, hell, he probably was even stronger than her, though it would be a cold day in hell before she admitted that aloud to anyone, especially Zeruge. But that still didn't mean he was immortal, at least as far as she could tell, and the thought of him getting hurt or worse made her insides knot. "Great, I've got about sixty tons of mechanized death snapping at my heels and I decide just now to develop a mother hen complex because of a demon who has the personality of a perverted housecat. Why does this crap have to happen to me?" She said miserably.

Just then she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Uh, Master Raven? As much as I hate to break your concentration, would you mind letting go while I still have some feeling in my ear?" Zeruge panted, still fluttering frantically in order to keep up with her his ear still in her iron grip. "Do you promise not to do anything stupid if I let go?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows at him. "Uh, define stupid." Zeruge said raising an eyebrow. Raven smacked herself in the forehead. "Stupid as in trying to take on a heavily armed giant robot without backup, is that a little clearer?" She asked through gritted teeth. "Oh alright. I'm sorry I made you upset Master Raven. I was planning on holding that metal monster off while you and the others got away and join up with you after I had managed to find a weakness in it's armor but I suppose I should have let you know in advance." Zeruge said. Raven did a double take as this latest bit of information sunk in. "Huh? Why didn't you tell me you had a plan?" She asked. Zeruge gave a little shrug in mid-flight. "You never asked." He said simply. Raven's left eye twitched unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry. Finally she heaved an aggravated sigh and released her hold on his ear.

"Whatever, just…tell me the next time you're about to do something like that okay? I-" She started to say before she cut off embarrassed at almost blurting out something she wasn't sure she was ready to admit. "Yes Master Raven?" Zeruge asked regarding her curiously. Raven was hesitant to finish her sentence for fear of getting heckled by the others but seeing as they were focused on getting as much distance between them and their opponent she decided to just come out and say it, if only to see how the words tasted in her mouth. "I, I don't want to see you get hurt." She said softly her cheeks reddening. Zeruge was so surprised by this he almost lost control of his flying swerving in the air a little before managing to regain his balance. "You, you what?" He asked stunned. Raven's blush grew more distinct but she managed to keep her emotions in check lest her powers go haywire in mid-flight and propel her into the side of a passing building, which would have brought this sudden tender moment to a sudden, not to mention messy, end. "I-it's just that, your different from the other demons I've met when I was growing up. Before you came along I thought demons were nothing but brutish fiends. I had no idea demons could also be so, so, well, _friendly_. It's, kind of nice to not be the only demon around." She said glancing to the side. Deeply touched by this unexpected bit of warmth from the normally frigid sorceress Zeruge opened his say something when-WHANG! He had been so focused on Raven he had failed to see the streetlamp in front of him and smacked into it going at least thirty miles an hour.

"Zeruge!" Without thinking Raven hit the breaks rushing over to the demon who was now lying eagle spread on the ground his eyes spinning in his head like lottery slots. "Ooogh, anybody get the owner of that horse?" He mumbled all that was missing from his dazed expression were the little stars flying around his head. "Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked holding up two fingers in front of his face. Zeruge's eyes tried halfheartedly to focus on her hand their gaze shifting in and out of focus. "Uhh, eight?" He ventured his gaze at least three inches from her hand. "I'll take that as a no, hey Cyborg I could use a-Cyborg?" Raven looked around suddenly realizing that she and Zeruge were alone. The others must have not noticed that she and Zeruge had fallen behind and were long gone. Despite this unwelcome predicament Raven remained calm. All she had to do was contact the other with her communicator and they'd be back here in a flash. But when she reached for her communicator she discovered that it was gone "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Raven groaned feeling around frantically for her communicator before swearing out loud in her native tongue. It must have fallen off while she was flying away from the robot.

Feeling her control slipping somewhat Raven took a few deep breaths calming herself down. "Okay just keep it together Raven. The others are sure to notice that Zeruge and I are missing and they're probably on their way back here right now. I just have to sit and wait right Zeruge?" She asked turning to the demon. However Zeruge was still a little woozy from the knock to the noggin so he just lay there while his rattled little brain tried to regain some semblance of function unable to voice his opinion other than making a little gurgling noise. "Uh, right." Raven said sweat dropping. Sitting down Indian style next to him Raven closed her eyes and tried to meditate a little to pass the time. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azara-" Suddenly Raven's eyes snapped open warning bells going off in the back of her mind. As far as she could remember Raven had always had a sort of sixth sense that allowed her to sense things around her ranging from emotions, thoughts, auras, etc. And right now that sixth sense was telling her that she and Zeruge were no longer alone. "Zeruge? Zeruge!" She hissed trying to wake him up, but the demon was currently unconscious from the knock to his head. As she tried without success to rouse him a brief flash of movement caught her eye causing her to freeze in place. For a few seconds she sat there quiet as a mouse holding her breath so that the only sound she heard was the thumping of her heart in her chest straining her senses to detect the slightest hint of sound or movement.

There, just beyond the range of her vision in an alleyway something moved. A strange sound, almost like a forced sigh, floated out of the darkness of the alley. Her entire body was tensed like a frightened deer that had caught the scent of a predator as the sound repeated itself this time just a little louder. A new noise joined in, this time a light scratching noise like metal scraping against rock soft but with an underlying tremble in the ground signifying that whatever was in the alleyway was, it was big. A sudden flash of movement, black against black, drew her attention about twenty or so feet above the street a glimpse of something long and wiry glinted in the faint light of a nearby streetlight. A third sound joined the first two growing slowly but steadily louder, a swishing sound like a tree branch swaying in the wind, except that the night air was as still and cold as death itself. Suddenly six blood red beams of light arranged in a perfect circle snapped on bathing Raven and Zeruge in crimson light as though they were soaked in blood. A massive black silhouette scuttled it's way out of the alley way, a very FAMILIAR silhouette with writhing tentacles, glowing energy blades, and of course, a large mosquito snout that pulsed a violent shade of green.

Raven sat there her mind frozen in shock. It was impossible, there way no way that it could have caught up so quickly with them, as fast as it had been it still had to weight well over sixty tons at the least it shouldn't have been able to track them unless-_unless it was toying with us the whole time and it's even more dangerous than it seemed to be _a part of her whispered terrified, most likely Timid. Raven didn't want to consider this thought, because if it was right, and she REALLY hoped it wasn't, then that would have meant that the artificial intelligence controlling the machine had been so sophisticated, so complex, that it had calculated that by holding back the true scope of it's abilities, it could play along with the Titan's attempt to destroy it and when they had assumed that they had won, it could make a retaliatory strike and force them into a retreat thinking that they could outrun it. _And if that's really what it's been up to this whole time then the son of a bitch WANTED us to run away so it could trap us and pick us off one by one which means-_which meant that she and Zeruge were in some very deep shit indeed.

The machine clanked to a halt less than a meter in front of them. It gave no shriek, raised no weapon to attack. It just sat there as still and lifeless as a rock the only movement coming from it's tentacles as they weaved and bobbed slowly twitching erratically as though longing to rend the flesh from her bones. Its piercing gaze was fixed entirely upon Raven and Zeruge it's utter lack of movement and sound even more unnerving than it had been when it had been shrieking for their blood. Why wasn't it attacking? It should have been trying to rip her apart with its tentacles but it just stood there like a huge grotesque statue not budging an inch. Then suddenly one of its tentacles stirred to life and Raven tensed bracing herself for an attack. Instead however the tentacle drifted to a compartment in the robot's torso and rummaged around as though searching for something. Apparently it had found what it was looking for because the tentacle suddenly tensed contracting around something as it lifted its prize out of the compartment. It raised the object up to it's lenses illuminating what was clutched tightly in its grasp. As Raven saw what it was holding she felt her heart skip a beat. _It was her communicator_. The robot must have snagged it from where she had lost it and had been using the signal to track her. The tentacle contracted suddenly crushing the communicator to a mangled pulp dropping it unceremoniously at her feet. The meaning of the gesture had been to deliver a message which she had no trouble interpreting: _Game over._

Raven's mind raced trying to think of a way to get out of this mess. She was strong, no doubt about that, but as far as her powers went she was usually about the same strength as Starfire and she hadn't been able to make a dent in this thing even with Cyborg and Robin's help. It was true that she DID have more power to draw upon than Starfire did by a long shot. But the last time she had gone all out when she had fought Doctor Light she almost done something to him that would have been far worse than death. If she tried to tap into her demon powers there was no telling who she might attack, whether it be nearby civilians, her teammates or…Her gaze flicked over to Zeruge involuntarily and the sight of him lying there still unable to defend himself seemed to settle the matter once and for all. _No, I can't risk hurting him, we're in this mess because of me, so I have to get us out of it, this thing may be tough, but so am I. There's no way in hell I'm going to let this thing get to Zeruge _she thought her frightened gaze settling into an expression of grim determination. She got to her feet her cloak swirling around her as she called upon her powers readying herself for battle. "So," She said simply giving the machine a glare. "Do you want to start this, or should I?" She said coolly as though they were in the middle of a sporting event and not a life or death situation.

For a minute the robot just sat there motionless, then, deciding that it was time to quit fooling around and get down to business, the tentacles on its back suddenly lashed out. Raven braced herself for an attack but it never came. Instead the tentacles reared up and punched a series of holes through the street fissures spreading out from the places where the tips had punctured the ground as the tentacles burrowed deeper into the ground looking for something guided by the robot's lenses and they swept over the street's surface seemingly oblivious to Raven and Zeruge. Before Raven could start to wonder what exactly it was doing (other than adding to an already hefty amount of destruction of city property) the lenses all converged on a single point on the street. As one the tentacles began to reel themselves in like fishing lines after snagging the granddaddy of all Bass. As they set to work attempting to unearth whatever it was that they were after the street began to crack and shudder with increasing intensity. Finally with a great heaving wrench the tentacles broke apart the street's surface a large thick cord clutched in their grasp. With a start Raven realized that the machine was currently clutching one of the cities main underground power lines that supplied electricity to the entire city. No sooner had she realized this then with a blur of movement the robot buried its snout directly into the cable.

At first Raven thought the machine was trying to commit some bizarre form of cybernetic suicide and fry itself from the inside out by introducing the huge electrical current to it's inner workings. But then to her shock the machine began to suck the electrical energy out of it like a mosquito hungrily drawing blood from a host. The lights around them flickered and dimmed as all the power in the area began to flow into the robot's body the massive incoming flux of power surging through it's circuitry arcs of electricity snapping along its armored body. She could actually see the electricity in the form of a pulsing yellow glow that moved its way up the robot's snout and disappeared into it's head the light from its lenses and energy blades seeming to brighten a hundredfold. "This, is so not good." Raven muttered under her breath really, REALLY starting to wish she had just stayed in bed today and called in sick. Finally the machine finished its meal yanking its snout out of the cable and tossing it aside crackling with raw power. Then, all of a sudden every light in its body went out and it slumped to the ground still and lifeless.

Blinking in surprise Raven stood there for a second unsure of what had just happened. "Uh, did I win?" She wondered uncertainly. Cautiously she inched forward very slowly. The robot did not stir even when she prodded it with her foot. "Well, that was weird, but at least it's over." She said to herself as she turned to get Zeruge and see if she couldn't track the others down. But as we all know if anything can go wrong, it usually does, in this case to robot suddenly started back up again the lenses on its head lighting up like computer after being rebooted, which as a matter of fact, was exactly what had happened. It turns out Raven had been partly right, the massive power flow from the cable had been too much for its system, so it had shut down briefly while its circuitry reformatted itself to be able to handle the energy. Now with far more power than before it swung one of its legs at her head at a speed that had to have been at least twice what it had been before it had shut down. Raven was barely able to project a shield in time but the sheer force of the blow was strong enough that it sent her sprawling. "OW! I'm thinking maybe I should have kept my mouth shut." She grumbled starting to get really annoyed. Behind her the robot's head suddenly lurched forward as though being pushed out from behind and began to spin counter clockwise at a dizzying speed. As it spun the lights in it's lenses started to change from red to yellow to green while the laser weapon on the end of it's snout began to change colors in reverse going from green to yellow to finally red. Then with a dry rusty click the robots head snapped back into place.

As Raven watched the robot suddenly began to transform to better utilize its newfound energy source. Two large bulky missile pods emerged from the robot's shoulders opening up and revealing three rows of six heat-seeking missiles per pod. Its energy scythes deactivated the ends of its arms opening up and producing a six fingered metallic hand each the size of a trash can. Each of its legs opened up revealing that they were full of missiles all primed and ready to launch Raven having no doubt in her mind that they were also heat seekers. Then the tentacles on its back suddenly retracted into a series of compartments on its back disappearing into the depths of the robots torso. But just when it seemed the robot had finally finished reconstructing itself it suddenly lurched upwards its entire torso detaching from its abdomen. As it soared a good five feet upwards Raven saw that its tentacles were now connecting its body with its abdomen serving as an elongated metallic spinal cord. A sheet of metal descended over them encasing them in reinforced titanium armor. And as if this wasn't bad enough a set of panels opened up in its new spine and eight miniature gatling gun turrets appeared on each side giving it a total of sixteen of the small but deadly weapons.

Raven just stared her left eye twitching as the robot continued to roll out a ridiculous amount of firepower that she no doubt going to be used to try and reduce her, Zeruge, and everything else in a ten mile radius to a very small pile of ashes. _I wonder if I'm cursed? _She thought feeling one hell of a migraine coming on just thinking about the mess she was in. Finally, as if the machine needed one more new toy to play with a panel opened up in its chest and a long metal object resembling a huge black katana handle covered with complex circuitry slid out. With one of its new hands the robot grasped the handle and flicked a switch on its side. A massive blade of crimson energy burst out from the end of it having a slightly curved shape to it so that the weapon now looked like a union between a samurai sword and a lightsaber. Deciding to test its new weapon out it gave the blade a few practice swings the weapon surging through the air at lightning speed slicing a telephone booth clean in half. Satisfied with its powerful new armaments the robot threw back its head and gave one of its shrill screams only this time it was at a pitch high enough to shatter glass. The robot took a stance with its new energy sword its torso swaying gently from side to side like cobra ready to strike. Its gatling guns cocked and rotated now fully loaded and its missile pods thrummed with energy ready to unleash a salvo of exploding death at a moments notice. Raven, not having as nearly an impressive way to prepare for battle, just put up her hood over her face taking a stance of her own. "Stupid robots, they always have to show off." She muttered darkly.

No sooner had she said this then the robot lunged swinging its sword from the side. Raven threw up a shield deflecting the attack but the robot used the momentum to rotate its torso around and lash out again from the other side. Raven quickly threw up another shield blocking the attack again only just barely. The robot was relentless in its attack lunging and swerving as it used its flexibility to force her to stay on the defensive lest one of its strikes get through and cut her in two. Luckily since they were in such close quarters the robot was hesitant to use some of its heavier weaponry like its missiles and laser which would have caused both of them severe damage in such a narrow space. However it wasn't much of an advantage as Raven also needed space to use her powers effectively. Hand to hand was never really her cup of tea, she was more adept at attacking her opponents with long range tactics leaving the direct approach to Robin and Beast-Boy. And the robot still had its energy sword and gatling guns neither of which were easy to deal with. Speaking of which the robot opened fire with its guns the bullets rattling away at her shield which was already wavering from its energy sword attacks. Gritting her teeth Raven decided that in this case the best defense was a good offense. "Azarath, Metrion ZINTHOS!" She cried her eyes flashing white. The shield around her suddenly shattered sending shards of black magic flying through the air like shrapnel.

Twirling its sword like a shield the robot deflected the shards of energy preventing it from taking damage, however this had given Raven just enough time to grab a streetlamp and hurl it like a javelin. The robot dodged the attack and trained its guns on Raven not noticing the lamp doing a sudden u-turn and redirect itself at the robot nailing it in the head. Staggering from the blow the robot's shots missed Raven instead chewing up the street in front of it. Raven used this to her advantage and caused a pile of small broken bits of asphalt to swarm at the machine scraping away at its armored hide like it enraged hornets. Scratched up but not really damaged the robot blasted away at the rocks turning them into powder. Trying a more direct approach Raven snagged a couple of beat up looking cars and wielded them like clubs as she bashed away at the robot with frenzied vigor before chucking the mangled remains at it like oversized baseballs. The robot quickly shook off the sudden attacks and with a quick cut reduced both of the incoming cars to confetti. While it was distracted Raven slammed her hands on the ground sending out a wave of dark energy causing a mesh of pipes, cables and wires to erupt out of the street and wrap around the robot. The machine tried to use its laser sword to cut through the cables only to find that its arms were pinned to its sides so that it was unable to maneuver the blade.

Emboldened with rage for its inability to free itself the machine pivoted its head and charged up its laser. However, instead of a burst of explosive green energy a massive red stream of crimson heat poured out of the robots snout and began to incinerate everything in its path like a Martian death ray straight out of an old sci-fi movie. However if that beam connected with any part of Raven there would be no stunt double to step in and take the hit so she threw up another shield just in time to block the energy beam although the force of it caused her knees to buck slightly. Sweat broke out on Raven's forehead as she struggled to maintain both her control on the pipes holding the robot captive and supplying enough energy to keep its maser attack at bay. To try and distract it enough that it would break off the laser attack Raven flung the robot around like a rag doll smashing it into the street and into the walls of nearby buildings. The robots laser swung in wide arcs leaving great gouge marks in the areas where it touched cutting clear through everything in its way. But now that it no longer was able to target her specifically Raven was able to funnel some of her energy from her shield and use it to strengthen her grip on the robot. Throwing her arms up into the air Raven made the pipes and cables toss the robot high into the sky releasing her hold on them and channeling her remaining energy. Lacing her hands together Raven swung her arms in an overhead arc with a fierce cry as a huge claw of black magic rammed into the robot from above it and pounded it into the street with a great rattling crash.

Raven leaned up against a building sweating winded from the effort t had taken to launch such a powerful attack. "Maybe…that was, a little…excessive." She panted wiping the sweat from her brow. Amazingly Zeruge was still fast asleep, snoring away oblivious to the world around him. "Oh no, don't worry about me Zeruge I'm fine. But hey, thanks for worrying about my well being I really appreciated your help." She muttered kicking a pebble into the large gaping hole in the middle of the street where the robot had hit the street. Peering into the pit she scanned the debris for any telltale sign of the robot but there wasn't so much as a metallic scrap of the machine anywhere in sight. "Probably buried under at least thirty feet of rubble. I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say some crappy generic one liner or go on about how justice will always prevail until my voice gives out but I think I'll go with something a little more my style." She said standing at the edge of that pit. "Ahem, let's see, you were a royal pain in the ass, you deprived me of time I could have spent at home in bed, you broke my communicator which I have to pay for out of my own pocket I might add, and I hope you burn in hell, so there." She said ticking things off on her fingers before giving the pile of rubble a mock salute.

Raven turned around and walked back to where she had left Zeruge thinking that maybe now she could actually get a little peace and quiet when all of a sudden the ground beneath her opened up and a giant steel fist wrapped around her. Before she could cry out for help the hand tightened its grip cutting off her air so that only a strangled squeak escaped her lips. Struggling to breathe Raven could only watch as the robot heaved itself out of the ground undamaged by her attacks save for a few bits of slashed circuitry and cracked armor here and there. Raven tried to call forth her powers but before she could do so the robot slammed its fist into the wall of a bank bashing her head into it. Stars exploded across her field of vision as her mind suddenly seemed to break apart leaving only a painful red haze. Vaguely she felt hot blood trickling down the back of her head and her vision swam. But the robot wasn't done, not yet. It proceeded to smash her into the walls and street around it just as she had done to it. Soon Raven lay limp in the iron giants grip bleeding and barely able to move. From the pain in her chest it felt like she had fractured a couple of ribs and her left leg felt like it might be broken. _Please, someone, anyone, help me _she thought desperately hoping that any moment now the other would come to her rescue, but deep down she knew that they wouldn't be able to make it in time.

Her lungs were screaming for air feeling like they would burst but she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream, all she could do was writhe in silent agony in the robot's murderous iron grip. Finally seeming to have grown bored of its little game it flung Raven like a rag doll against a telephone pole making her cry out as she hit it with a sickening crack. Feebly gasping for breath she slid down the pole landing in a heap on the ground trying to will her arms and legs to move. As she lifted her head and stared into the soulless green eyes of her mechanized executioner as it drew its laser sword she understood that she was going to die. She did not feel rage, nor fear, only a deep heart wrenching sorrow. So this was how she met her end, lying broken and alone in a cold alleyway at the hands of a murderous machine. She thought of her friends, of the people who had welcomed her into their lives with open arms and open hearts, of the citizens of the city who she had worked tirelessly to protect from the forces that would do them harm, but most of all, she thought of Zeruge, of the kind and gentle creature who had come into her life when she had though that she would never find someone who could understand her. He had only been in her life for a few days but had with but a few small acts of kindness and affection had made her feel, wanted, accepted, even…loved.

"Goodbye Zeruge," Raven whispered as the robot raised its sword high into the air. "It was nice meeting you, if only for a little bit," Wearily she cracked a small smile tears brimming in her eyes. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one whose creepy." She said softly. The robot brought its blade down with a scream of bloodlust and triumph as Raven closed her eyes and once more waited for oblivion to take her. As she did so she failed to see a fiery symbol of a serpent swallowing its tail emblaze itself onto Zeruge's forehead his eyes snapping open glowing a fiery red. But she did hear the deafening clang of steel against steel. Opening her eyes Raven gasped at the sight of Zeruge standing between her and the robot his blades locked in a deadly embrace with the robots energy sword. His ears were flattened against his head, his eyes had turned blood red, and his lips were peeled back in a wolfish snarl that displayed his long rows of fangs in menacing detail. With a screech the robot broke away from the stalemate and opened fire with its gatling guns. At a speed Raven would have never imagined was possible Zeruge whipped out his blades and deflected every single bullet that came his way in the space of mere seconds. The sliced apart remains of the bullets fell to the ground in a soft metallic patter like rain. Zeruge's face stretched into a frightful leer as though the robot's efforts to destroy him were merely a source of amusement to the powerful demon.

The robot drew itself up to its full height and gave a shrill battle cry that tore through the night sky like a knife. It then waited with its sword drawn for the demon to respond to its challenge. For a moment Zeruge stood there silent fury blazing in his eyes. Then he unfurled his great bat like wings, threw back his head, and _roared_ into the heavens. To her dying day Raven didn't think she would ever forget that sound. It was like the roar of a lion, the howl of a wolf, and the bellowing of a bull. Then a typhoon of fire erupted around the demon as though his battle cry had rallied the flames of hell itself to his side. The infernal symbol of a serpent swallowing its tail blazed brightly on his forehead glowing the same fiery red that his eyes now shone. The flames roiled and flickered around him wreathing him in tongues of fire. This was no longer the kind and gentle creature that had warmed Raven's heart with his acts of affection and innocence, this was an ancient and terrible warrior that had at long last found the will to fight. Zeruge the demon swordsman, had finally returned.

How's THAT for a cliffhanger folks! I know, I know I said that Zeruge would have his big fight scene in this chapter but I sort of got carried away with setting the scene for it. I promise though next chapter we'll get to see what the demon swordsman can REALLY do as he squares off against the new and improved robot's arsenal of weaponry. Perhaps if they make it through this mess in one-piece maybe Raven will take Zeruge up on his offer and have a moonlit flight through the city, you never know what romantic events might happen, and it seems a certain Tamaranian princess has decided to play matchmaker. But while love may be in the air so is a dark plot hatching in the shadows as the ghosts of Zeruge's past watch and wait for the time to strike. If you thought the mysterious figure and Mr. Peckers were bad news, wait until you meet the rest of the fiendish crew! Here's hoping you guys liked this chapter I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone again for reading and reviewing, big props to **Pakkrat **especially for giving me some awesome ideas for this story and my sequel, yeah you heard me right folks there's going to be a sequel! Hopefully I'll be able to update much sooner now that summer vacation's here. Ah the sweet smell of freedom, until next time, ta-ta for now!


	6. Chapter 6

The Girl Who Loved a Monster By Metal Overlord 2.0

Hello again! Sorry it took me so long to do this chapter I hit a killer case of writer's block but with some help from a good friend of mine Pakkrat and all of my loyal readers like stitchtitan25 I've got my mad writing mojo back baby LOL To those who might be interested to know I recently picked up a copy of Teen Titans for PS2 and guess what folks? It actually doesn't suck, which is very rare for videogames based on television shows. True it's not the best game ever but it's a surprisingly solid and enjoyable game that uses the license remarkably well. Just figured I'd run that by for folks who might want to buy the game (actually the real reason I wrote all of that was because I ran out of subject matter and wanted to fill in a few more lines for my intro, but don't tell anyone okay?) In any case, on with the show!

Unfazed by Zeruge's sudden transformation the robot screeched a battle cry and opened up its missile panels on its legs and shoulders unleashing hundreds of heat seeking missiles that soared into the sky and then curved downwards towards Zeruge like dive-bombing birds of prey. Zeruge tilted back his head still wreathed in flames and regarded the oncoming swarm of missiles calmly, almost lazily as though they posed no threat to him. Then he inhaled deeply drawing air into his diaphragm like a diver about to take a record plunge. Just as the missiles were less than a couple feet away Zeruge's eyes snapped open and he let loose a sonic scream that tore through the air like a knife. The solid wall of sound slammed into the missiles not only detonating them instantly but pushed them back towards the robot turning the swarm of deadly projectiles into a wave of roiling flames hot enough to melt through solid steel, which was exactly what the demon had in mind.

The shutters on the robot's camera lenses closed partially giving them the appearance of narrowing eyes. The end of its mosquito snout began to glow a piercing crimson while at the same time hefting its massive laser sword above it's head and spinning it around in its hands adding centrifugal force to it's monstrous strength. Then as the wave of fire was almost upon it the robot swung its sword in a downward arc while firing its laser weapon half a second later. The sheer force of the blow created a vacuum distortion cutting the sea of flamed right down the middle not only dodging the scorching heat but also clearing way for the laser to cut through the air directly at Zeruge. As the beam approached Zeruge he curled his wings around him like a cocoon using them as a shield against the laser beam. The death ray slammed into Zeruge's wings but instead of disintegrating them the wings actually seemed to be absorbing the energy. The veins on his wings began to glow a fiery red as though they were filled with molten lava. As the veins on the demon's wings began to glow the skin around them began to grow darker until the surface of Zeruge's wings was almost entirely jet black. The beam wavered, sputtered and finally died as the last of the powerful laser was absorbed into Zeruge's body. When he unfurled his wings Raven couldn't help but gasp, as would the robot probably if it had had any sort of verbal communication other than screaming itself hoarse.

Zeruge's body was in the same condition as his wings were with bulging glowing veins that traveled along his body which was now black as volcanic soot making him look like he had become a living volcanic rock the glowing crimson veins along his skin traveling across his body, limbs neck and his forehead like fissures diverting molten lava. Rather than destroy Zeruge all the robot's attack seemed to have done was make him even stronger. Tilting his head back the demon closed his eyes dreamily and growled like a well fed lion the sensation of the flames infusing with his very body seeming to put him in a state of rapture. Raven stared at the fearsome beast that in the amount of time it had taken for Raven to blink had gone through a complete shift in personality from 'cute and cuddly house pet' to 'bloodthirsty feral hell spawn'. But it wasn't until she felt the incredible aura pouring off the demon that she got an inkling of the trouble she was in. "Th-that aura, it's the same kind that had been around the tomb! But that would mean…" Suddenly one of the first things the demon had told her came rushing back in crystal clear clarity as though he was right there in front of her speaking those very same words. "_If you knew who, no, what I am or the thing's I've done you'd leave me here to rot." _He had said to her in her dreams. "Is this what he was talking about? Is this why he was locked up in that tomb in the first place?" She wondered suddenly chilled by more than just the brisk night air.

As the last flickers of energy flowed into Zeruge's body the demon summoned his blades and began to twirl them in his claws. Faster and faster they went until they were little more than whirling rings of steel. Then Zeruge spat streams of fire onto each whirling blade setting them ablaze so that they now looked like flaming buzz saws. Holding out the fiery spinning blades at his sides he grinned at the robot daring it to attack. The robot, for all it's sophisticated A.I and programming, was somewhat lacking in a little concept known as common sense. And so like an enraged bull charges a matador the robot skittered towards the demon shrieking furiously and swinging its sword through the air.

In a heartbeat Zeruge was tearing down the street running his burning buzz blades along the sides of the buildings to the left and right of him sending up a flurry of multicolored sparks. Then the two figures became little more than black and red blurs as they exchanged blows at lightning speed sparks filling the air from the clashing weapons. Growing mightily annoyed with the demon's persistence the robot decided to bring this battle to a close and swung its blade in a double handed side strike aiming for the demon's midsection. Bringing up his weapons Zeruge blocked the attack the laser sword glancing off his burning blades. Using the momentum the robot rotated its torso around completely and swung its blade up and over its shoulder in a diagonal slash. Zeruge teleported avoiding the deadly blow the blade burying itself in the ground where the demon had been a second ago. Zeruge reappeared in the air next to the robot and delivered a crushing spinning heel kick to the side of its head pulverizing three of its camera lenses blinding it partially. Screaming in rage the robot lashed out with one of its armored fists with devastating force. Zeruge twisted his body in midair counterclockwise the robot's fist passing the air a few inches left of his ear and using the momentum swung his whirling blades down on the robots arm slicing through the reinforced titanium like it was made out of paper.

With a thud the robot's severed arm fell to the ground sparking and twitching as though clinging desperately to life. The robot let loose a shriek so shrill and deafening that the windows around them shattered raining glass down onto the combatants. Yanking out its sword in one quick thrust the robot let loose a barrage of gunfire at point blank range while at the same time backpedaling to put distance between it and its formidable opponent. As he had before Zeruge used his flaming swords to block the bullets, however one managed to break through his defenses and grazed the side of his face drawing blood. Pleased that it had finally managed to damage its prey the robot gave a triumphant screech stomping its many legs. With a passive look on his face Zeruge watched the trickle of blood ooze down, then with a dart of his long tongue he lapped up the blood leering at the robot with his fangs stained with his own blood. Then with a snarl he spun on one heel like a discus thrower and hurled both his flaming blades like a couple of blazing discusses through the air towards the robot.

Using it's laser sword it managed to deflect both blades not realizing that it had been a ploy by the demon to close the gap between them without getting attacked. Running at the robot on all fours Zeruge leaped at the machine claws outstretched like a lion pouncing on its prey his jaws opened wide seeking to rip out the robot's hardwiring with his fangs. Swerving its torso to the side the robot dodged the demon so that instead of sinking his fangs into its metallic throat Zeruge lodged his teeth into the column holding up the balcony of a fancy restaurant that would have been packed had it not been for the minor problem of a twenty foot tall mechanized killing machine running rampant. With the demon swordsman unable to defend himself the robot moved in to bring the battle to an abrupt and messy end. But just as it raised its sword to drive it through the demon's heart a telekinetically charged chunk of concrete bashed it in the head knocking it off balance. The blade swung downwards and sliced through the robot's two front legs bringing the entire machine toppling over with a mighty crash. Leaning against a telephone pole to steady herself Raven stood there somewhat worse for wear but alive. "If you think I'm just going to sit here and play the damsel in distress again then Chang must have forgotten to put a brain in that thick head of yours." She panted exhausted from the effort.

Using her own healing powers Raven had managed to tend to her injuries somewhat. While she still had a broken leg and was a total wreck she had managed to keep her injuries from becoming fatal and had used the last of her power to keep the robot from running Zeruge through like a stuck pig. Letting herself sink to the ground Raven closed her eyes and took some deep breaths letting herself relax a little from the strain it had taken to use her powers in her battered state. A jarring and unpleasantly familiar clanking noise got her attention making her wearily open one eye. The robot was struggling to its feet recalibrating the spacing between its remaining legs to keep itself balanced. "Would it kill you to just stay down for once?" Raven growled under her breath. The robot picked up its sword and advanced slowly towards her menacingly. Despite all of the damage Zeruge and she had inflicted on it the robot was still very deadly and was more than capable of making human sushi out of the dark sorceress. Gritting her teeth Raven tried to move but she was exhausted from the battle. "Oh goody I'm right back where I was before with bolts for brains about to carve me up like a thanksgiving turkey, only this time I'm too damn tired to do the whole self pity routine and Zeruge isn't able to save my sorry ass. I guess some girls get all the luck." She muttered darkly as the robot drew closer its blade thrumming with lethal energy.

Suddenly a sharp cracking sound filled the air catching both Raven and the robot's attention. The pillar Zeruge had his teeth embedded in was cracking and trembling as the demon began, incredibly, to wrench his teeth out of the solid concrete. Raven sat there no longer noticing the imminent threat of danger she was in trying to wrap her mind around the kind of strength Zeruge's jaws would have needed to perform such a feet of superhuman strength. The robot seemed equally perplexed its head tilting to one side in a quizzical fashion. Then with a final heaving wrench Zeruge yanked his fangs free taking a piece of the balcony with him and reducing the rest to rubble. Zeruge merely stood there with a mouth full of concrete for a moment then with a growl he snapped his jaws shut with the strength of an alligator pulverizing the concrete slab still lodged in his jaws. He chewed it around for a bit before spitting it out and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Sneering at his opponent he reached out his arm and crooked a talon towards him in a come hither gesture.

Deciding to take its frustration out on Zeruge instead the robot crouched down its torso and swung at Zeruge's leg seeking to begin exacting its revenge for losing its arm and front legs. Leaping onto the sword Zeruge used it as a springboard to launch himself over the robot landing on the street behind the robot. Dropping to the ground the demon lashed out with a sweep kick knocking all eight of the robot's legs out from under it and as it flailed in midair grabbed it by its shoulder and with a mighty heave judo flipped the mechanized menace into the street hard enough to crack the pavement and rattle every tooth in Raven's skull adding to the migraine she had gotten from when the robot had played 'crack the whip' with her spine. The robot lay there sparks flying from its ruined camera lenses and the stump where its left arm had been along with dozens of other damaged areas where bits of wiring and circuitry poking out of the ruptured armor. Zeruge growled at the fallen robot but it made no movement to retaliate. Seemingly satisfied that his enemy had been defeated Zeruge gave a snort and turned away.

In a flash the robot sprang into life propping itself up with its one good arm. It stuck out its legs so that they resembles a six pointed star and spun them like a giant pinwheel. Swinging its long torso around the robot swung its spinning legs into the back of Zeruge's head hitting him hard enough to send him flying through a wall leaving a demon shaped outline in the building's side. The robot then planted its legs firmly on the ground before hauling its torso back up again and grabbing its sword. At the same time Zeruge emerged from underneath the rubble from the impact cracking his neck back into place with a loud pop. The two combatants stood there damaged, fatigued, but still willing to fight. After such a long hard battle both combatants had thrown everything they had at each other and then some. Now at last the fight would draw to its finale and one of them would fall for the last time. Realizing that it was about to hit the fan Raven managed to scramble for cover behind the back half of a corvette that had been sliced in two and peeked out from under her hiding place at the two opposing fighters to see what they would do next.

The robot held up its laser sword and stared at its pulsing crimson blade with its remaining lenses as though transfixed. Then with a stabbing motion the robot drove its snout into the sword and began to drain it dry of all its power. Zeruge took a deep breath and began to gather his strength the symbol on his forehead increasing in its intensity as his power built up. The robot finished sucking up the last bit of energy in its sword and tossed the discarded weapon aside. It then began to release the safety controls on its power core directing the massive flux of power and diverting all energy to its weapon systems. Mobility, processing power, surveillance equipment, everything that did anything other than allow the robot to carry out its final attack was channeled into its weapons boosting their power a hundred fold ignoring the system warnings that were telling it that its systems were overheating. Zeruge crouched down on all fours raising one armored claw and driving it deep into the asphalt and repeated the process with his other claw anchoring himself to the street as he continued to build up his power. Flaring out his wings he began to absorb every bit of flames that remained in the area the oncoming waves of heat and solar energy funneling into his wings and passing on into his body. Every bit of energy he had, even the power he had acquired from the robot's laser attack, was being compacted, converted, and channeled into the demon's ultimate attack.

The robot meanwhile was beginning to glow bright red as the temperature in its systems continued to skyrocket. Every missile, every bullet, and every charged particle was being packed to the brink of bursting with excess energy giving the robot enough power to level the entire city if it didn't suffer a meltdown first. It could feel its circuitry burning out, microchip by microchip, as it pushed itself beyond its limitations to perform this one final task. The robot's guns, missile pods, and laser glowed a shade of red that was a thousand times brighter than before as every last speck of power was being forced into its weapons. Meanwhile Zeruge lay crouched on all fours his wings gathering energy like solar panels from the heat and fires around him, a reddish glow was emerging from the back of his throat and boiling steam was starting to emerge from his mouth and nostrils. The very ground beneath him began to melt as the asphalt was reduced to sticky boiling tar as the incredible heat roiled off the two combatants in waves melting and boiling the area around them like two volcanoes ready to burst.

Then on some unseen signal the robot let loose one last primal scream and fired every single weapon in its arsenal at once. The missiles erupted from its shoulder pods and legs trailing fire and plasma as they screamed towards their target a hairs breath from blowing to bits with the rapidly igniting explosives packed into each one. The bullets were flaring like phosphorous tracers their mass and force at least tripled by the excess power that had propelled them through the supercharged gun barrels. And the laser was four times its regular size throbbing with unimaginable raw power. Before the oncoming barrage of sheer firepower Zeruge took a deep breath the reddish glow in his throat building in its intensity and with a deafening roar a deluge of incredible heat erupted from his gaping jaws that would have made Godzilla proud. The two opposing attacks slammed together rocking the entire city block to its foundations with their intensity. The beams at first went towards Zeruge, then towards the robot, then back again in a seesaw fashion. Zeruge's fire breath attack was holding up and showed no signs of slowing down but the robot's additional firepower was adding to the laser's power pushing his attack back little by little. Zeruge's claws dug deeper into the ground as he tried to anchor himself down to keep from losing ground as he struggled to match the intensity of the robot's onslaught.

Then one of the robot's missile pods exploded unable to bear the incredible heat any longer its payload ignited sending missiles flying in random directions as the massive build up of heat was messing with their sensors. One by one the gatling guns began to melt even as they continued to fire away the molten lead covering up the bullet holes causing them to burst as well the bullets taking out street lights and mailboxes as they caromed out of control. Even the robot's laser weapon was beginning to fail as its energy cores reached critical mass threatening to burn itself out and cause a total systems shutdown. As the amount of firepower began to shrink Zeruge's fire breath began to advance pushing back the weakening laser until at last the weapon fried from the inside with a final hiccup leaving nothing between the oncoming blast and the doomed robot. Before the robot could even scream in rage the blast slammed into it knocking it against a wall as the attack exerted an incredible amount of pressure and damage upon its body as the metal on its surface began to flake and peel the circuitry and wire underneath melting into slag as the machine writhed in its death throes. Finally the last of Zeruge's attack ebbed away and the mangled remains of the robot slumped to the ground. The entire lower part of the robot was completely burned away and all that was left of its remaining arm was a fused lump of steel jutting from its shoulder. It's chest lay open like a gutted corpse sparks and flames bursting from ruined bits of machinery still trying feebly to function in its last moments. Even its face had been scarred the snout broken off at the tip leaving a jagged edge that was leaking oil and other chemicals like blood running from a shattered nose. The once seemingly invincible war machine was at last defeated its weapons and technology no match for the raw strength, cunning and ferocity of a beast from a forgotten time who had come to the aid of the woman he cared for.

Zeruge approached the robot cautiously in case it got up again but it made no movements to attack even when he prodded it with his talon. Throwing back his head he let loose a bellowing roar of triumph into the sky having at last emerged from the battle victorious. As though spurred by the sound one of the camera lenses on the robot flickered to life. Fueled by little more than a burning almost instinctual desire to lash out at the being that had robbed it of it's ultimate objective the robot lunged forward and buried its broken snout into Zeruge's leg blood spurting from the wound. Howling in pain Zeruge grabbed the robot's head and ripped off its face revealing the complicated circuitry and wiring that made up its brain. With a frenzied snarl Zeruge tore out the circuitry and wiring inside and tearing them apart with his claws and fangs like entrails. No longer having any way of functioning even on a basic level the now very much dead machine fell back down for the last time. Zeruge limped away from the robot his face wincing in pain as he moved. The jagged piece of the robot's snout was still firmly embedded drawing fresh blood whenever he attempted to move his leg.

Suddenly Zeruge stopped his ears perking up. He flared his nostrils and started sniffing the air for some reason as though he had caught a sudden scent. He turned his head and spotted Raven nearby their gazes meeting for an instant. Normally Zeruge would have been able to recognize his master but the pain from his injured leg was aggravating him thus rendering him unable to tell friend from foe in his feral state or maybe he was just hungry from the battle and wanted a little snack. Either way the look in the demon's eyes did not bode well for Raven at all. Peeling back his lips Zeruge snarled at Raven his wings sticking straight up in the air like a cat raising its hackles before an enemy. Seeing this reaction Raven's eyes went wide as she suddenly found the strength to scuttle backwards doing her best impersonation of a crab as she tried to distance herself from the enraged demon. Growling menacingly Zeruge stalked towards her on all fours a hungry look in his eyes. "Easy Zeruge, easy, remember me Raven? We're friends remember? Friends don't rip each other apart so just clam down okay?" Raven babbled trying to reason with the demon. Unfortunately Zeruge seemed to not be in the mood for chitchat and continued to advance towards her his fangs bared. Raven felt her back bump against a wall now having run out of wiggle room leaving her at the mercy of the primal minded demon warrior.

Zeruge brought his face very close to hers his hot breath wafting over her sending shivers down her spine. His crimson eyes were blazing with a fierce intensity as he gazed right into her large frightened midnight blue eyes. "I know under the circumstances you might be considering to bite my head off but may I just say that for the record I'm not all that tasty?" She squeaked trying to think of a way out of this mess. Not a whole lot of ideas were popping up at the moment but that may have been because a two hundred pound armored demon was eyeing her for a snack, or maybe something else entirely she thought suddenly bringing a mixture of emotions to the surface. Up front was the expected bit of sheer panic at the idea of Zeruge using her as his plaything, though part of her seemed to like that idea a couple of less than appropriate scenarios popping up in her head playing out in rather explicit detail. _Great, as if I didn't have enough reasons to be seen as a total nutcase now I'm getting horny at the prospect of a demon having his way with me against my will, am I really THAT desperate for attention? _She wondered in exasperation. Not sure she really wanted an answer she returned her focus to the slavering demon in front of her and resumed being in a state of paralyzed fear.

Then to Raven's shock and outrage Zeruge leaned over and started sniffing her up and down like a bloodhound. Forgetting for the moment that she was a girl who was probably a hundred and forty pounds when soaking wet and that Zeruge was a two hundred pound demon warrior with claws that were as sharp as knives and fangs that were in the upper lengths of three to four inches she smacked Zeruge hard across the nose with the palm of her hand. "Hey watch where your sticking that nose devil boy there's a little thing called personal space." She snapped before suddenly covering her hands with her mouth realizing what she had just done. _Great job Raven, you just went and gave this guy a perfect reason to pick his teeth with your ribs_ she thought miserably. However Zeruge was sitting there thunderstruck completely caught off guard by her little outburst. Then he did something that in spite of all the mayhem she had been through in the last few days, hell in the last few hours, totally blew her away: His crimson eyes went misty and he started to whimper like a whipped dog laying his head down and covering it with his claws. Raven stared at the now cowering demon her eyes the size of Frisbees and her jaw somewhere near her knees. "You've GOT to be kidding me." She said numbly.

Zeruge continued to lie there whimpering pitifully seeming to be so absolutely miserable that Raven actually felt a little bad for hitting him despite the fact that he had been a hair's breath from eating and/or having his way with her (though not necessarily in that order mind you). "Hey, it's okay, don't cry." She said reaching out to try and console him. Zeruge cringed shying away from her hand as though he expected her to hit him again his eyes wide and fearful. The somber look in his eyes was more than her frigid demeanor could withstand and as much as she hated to admit it she knew what she had to do even if it meant throwing everything she had tried to represent herself as out the window. Finally after stewing for a few minutes she heaved a sigh. "I just know this is going to come back and bite me in the ass but, eh what the hell." She muttered. Reaching out Raven took Zeruge's head in her lap and ran her fingers through his hair whispering softly to him. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings I just thought you were going to hurt me and I got scared." She said scratching him behind the ears. Zeruge stopped whimpering a little and looked up at her his eyes wide with confusion.

A sudden stab of pain from his injury contorted his face making him growl slightly. Her gaze traveled over to the broken piece of metal jutting out of his leg. "Jeez that must have hurt to have pierced all the way through your armor. Let's see if we can do something about your leg okay?" She said stroking his hair soothingly. Zeruge looked up at her hesitantly but seeing that she meant well he slowly shifted so that she could see his leg. It was a mess to say the least, while it looked like the metal hadn't broken bone it had still pierced his armor and from the amount of blood on his leg pierced the skin fairly deeply. She moved to undo the clasps that held his leg armor together but hesitated looking at Zeruge for permission. The demon nodded allowing her to proceed. She undid the clasps one by one and managed to remove the armor without moving the metal shaft stuck in his leg. As she had suspected it had pierced the skin pretty deeply though the blood had managed to clot at least. Hoping that this wouldn't hurt too much Raven grabbed the metal snout and with a deft sudden tug she yanked it right out of the demon's leg causing Zeruge to roar in pain hard enough to make her face flap. "Sorry about that but I needed to get that out of your leg so I could treat the wound." She said scratching him behind the ears to try and sooth his pain.

Placing her hands over the wound Raven summoned what was left of her powers to heal the wound as best she could. After exhausting all of her magic she was able to close up the wound a good deal although it would still need a bandage. Ripping off a strip of her cloak she wrapped it around Zeruge's leg and tying it off in a knot before putting his leg armor back on. "There you go, I know it's not perfect but at the very least it will last long enough for it to heal." She said. Suddenly her vision blurred a bit and a feeling of light-headedness overtook her making her grab her head. "Ugh, too bad my injuries won't be so easy to deal with. That stupid robot banged me up pretty bad not to mention I've all but exhausted my magic reserves." She said holding a hand to her head. While it was nothing that a good night's sleep and a pot of tea couldn't fix she still had been through a pretty rough night to say the least. While technically Raven's powers were supposed to be limitless she could only control so much of it at once without going completely bonkers so she had made a habit of subconsciously limiting herself from using too much power lest her emotions get out of control and she blow up half of the city during one of her occasional hissy fits.

Zeruge had remained motionless throughout the task watching Raven intently though his eyes no longer showed any sign of aggression or anger. The demon lifted up his head to the sorceress's face and for a second she thought he was going to bite her face off or something when all of a sudden he started to lick her cheek with his tongue. The sorceress went as red as a beet a car nearby blowing itself to bits and raining burning metal onto the pavement. "H-hey! Cut that out!" She sputtered any attempt at coherent thought grinding to a halt as she tried to wrap her mind around the bizarre act of affection the demon was displaying towards her. Zeruge did as she asked settling his head back into her lap purring away happily. _I wonder of that counted as my first kiss? _A voice in the back of her head piped up making her blush even harder. "That better be the concussion talking." She growled to herself. Good god she needed a bath and some tea, one more incident like this and she was either going to crack like an egg or kill something depending on the circumstances.

Looking down at Zeruge she gave a little shrug. Ah well, she thought, he did save her life, again. She'd just refrain from ripping his tongue out of his skull and call it even, no real reason to beat the snot out of him again any more than the robot had already done. So she merely sat there scratching Zeruge behind the ears listening to him purr. "I hope you're not expecting to keep getting away with these little stunts of yours devil boy." She said stroking his soft black hair. "You may be cute but your not THAT cute." She said bemusedly. Zeruge merely gave a yawn and snuggled into her lap purring away even as he slept. Raven gave a small but unmistakable smile as she scratched him behind the ears her eyelids starting to droop as the long and strenuous events of the day began at last to take their toll on the tired young sorceress. Slipping into a peaceful slumber the last coherent thought that ran through her thoughts was: _Maybe I'll keep him after all _she thought sleepily before she drifted off into a deep and peaceful slumber. The moonlight shone through the clouds illuminating her pale silver skin making her seem like the statue of an angel being watched over by her guardian gargoyle protecting her from the evils of the world.

As the demons slept neither of them saw the large black crow known only as 'Mr. Peckers' perched on the rooftop glaring down at them with his beady little red eyes. Looking back over his shoulder Mr. Peckers glanced at his partner who was passed out on the ground snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The crow shook his head at the staggering incompetence of his partner, halfway through the fight that they were supposed to be observing the figure had gotten bored and had drunk himself into a stupor leaving poor Mr. Peckers to do all the work while he slept off his latest drinking binge. But this was hardly news to the overworked bird seeing as this seemed to happen on an almost daily basis whenever they went on the field for a mission that involved anything other than seeing how many people his partner could snuff before he got bored and drank himself into a coma. Flying over and perching on the figure's chest Mr. Peckers nearly gagged at the stench of the figure's breath which was a unique combination of the smell of blood, alcohol, and diesel fuel. The crow pecked the figure in the head in an attempt to wake him. The figure merely rolled over and yawning. "Five more minute's mommy." The figure mumbled in his sleep. Drumming his talons on the leather material of the figure's black trench coat Mr. Peckers's patience was rapidly growing thin. The boss would want them back with a report on the battle pronto and if they were late, empty handed, or even worse late AND empty handed there would be hell to pay.

Deciding to screw the subtle approach Mr. Peckers squawked furiously flapping around the figure's head and pecking the living daylights out of him. "Okay, okay I'll go to school quit poking me with the broom mom." The figure muttered still half asleep. With a great deal of difficulty the figure managed to get himself into upright into a sitting position scratching his rear and giving a tremendous belch. His luminous blood red eyes shone in the darkness like red-hot pokers as he surveyed his surroundings still somewhat disoriented from his abrupt wake up call. "(Yawn) so, what'd I miss?" He asked simply as though expecting Mr. Pecker's to somehow magically develop vocal cords and tell him in explicit detail every little step of the battle. This turned out to be the last straw for poor Mr. Peckers who with a shrill caw flew at the figure and once more started clawing and pecking at him only this time instead of waking him up he was planning on clawing out his eyes. "OwowOW! Okay, okay I'm sorry I fell asleep I just got tired after chasing Zeruge and his little pipsqueak posse all over town and needed a drink or two and lost rack of how much Sake I was having. Can I help it if I'm a slave to my addictions?" The figure whined covering his head with his arms to try and shield his face from the furious fowl.

Mr. Peckers gave a remarkable imitation of a snort at this but restrained his desire to rip out his partner's brains and use his fractured skull as a bird nest. With any luck the boss would be nice enough to do that for him when they got back home. As though thinking on the same wavelengths as the bird something seemed to click in the figure's pea sized brain and he tensed up suddenly. "What time is it?" He asked his tone no longer retaining any hint of drowsiness. The crow gave a shrug as though saying 'don't look at me it's not like I've got a Rolex strapped to my leg' taking some small delight in the figure as he began to scramble around the rooftop in a panic as though looking for a clock to magically drop out of the sky. Scuttling crablike down the wall of the building he peeked into the windows of the rooms quietly as though not to disturb any inhabitants before spying a small digital clock that flashed the time in neon green letters informing the figure that it was approximately quarter of nine. "Oh crap oh crap oh crapcrapcrappityCRAP!" The figure squealed as he hauled ass back up the wall like a cockroach fleeing the business end of a boot. "Haul your filthy feathered ass over here we're at least twenty minute's late for our rendezvous with the boss!" He barked at his feathered companion before taking off down an alleyway like a crazed bat out of hell.

Mr. Peckers gave a sigh and went to follow his partner when a small flash of light caught his eye. Amidst the piles of burnt wires and half melted circuit boards that had made up the now deceased robot's brain a small red and green light was pulsing on and off in a faint but steady rhythm. Curious the crow flew over and perched on top of the robot's ruined head using his beak to rummage through the ruined components. Then with a triumphant squawk Mr. Peckers poked his head out of the mess of wires and circuitry with a small black microchip clasped snugly in his beak that seemed to be still operational. A small reddish glow illuminated the tiny circuitry on its surface while a green bar of light ran endlessly along the circumference of the chips like a train endlessly following its circuit. Entranced by the luminous little gizmo Mr. Peckers filed it away into his wing before he flew off after his partner. He caught up to the figure just as he dropped into an open man hole and landed in the knee deep fetid water with a splash. Unable to fly in the cramped space Mr. Peckers landed on the figure's shoulder and ducked his head low to avoid the pipes that traveled overhead like veins.

For what seemed like an eternity they traveled through the dark dank winding passageways of the sewers the two seeming to know exactly where they were going despite the almost complete lack of light save from the cracks in the ceiling where the occasional sliver of moonlight shone feebly through the gloom. Then as they began to descend deeper into the bowels of the sewers even those few fragments of light slipped away leaving them in total blackness. Fortunately the figure's luminous eyes allowed the pair of unlikely companions to navigate their way through the maze of passageways and tunnels until gradually a faint but unmistakable source of light the veil began to illuminate the area if only just enough so that the figure and Mr. Peckers could see where they were going. The light was shining underneath a rusty metal door. While it should have been completely devoid of any sign of life there were markings in the thick layers of dust on the door handle to suggest that it had been used recently and quite a lot at that. Reaching out the figure rapped three times on the door the sound echoing throughout the sewers. Minutes passed and nothing happened but just when the figure was about to leave and come back later it swung open with a screech of its rusty hinges sounding like the dying cries of a poor tormented soul.

The figure peered at the open door gulping loudly before turning to Mr. Peckers. "After you," He said lamely gesturing towards the door with his gloved hand. The crow gave the figure an incredulous look jabbing his beak at his partner before jerking his head at the open door implying that in fact he should have that privilege. "Oh no, I'm not going in there until I know for sure I'm walking out of there in one piece. I'm the brains of the operation here beak brain your just the eye candy so your expendable." The figure retorted as though he assumed that this warped strain of logic made any kind of sense. Before Mr. Pecker's could reply in any way a low rasping voice that sounded as though the speaker hadn't used their vocal cords since the dawn of time wafted through the open doorway. "Now, now gentlemen there's no need to fight, I happen to need both of you at the moment so please come in if you'd be so kind." the voice said in a formal and almost friendly tone yet carried with it an underlying air of malice. The two squabbling companions ceased talking in any way shape or form the second they heard the voice reach their ears. Apparently whoever had spoken was intimidating enough to the duo that the mere sound of his voice seemed to scare the living bejeezus out of them.

Exchanging worried glances the two travelers stepped through the ominous threshold and into the enormous remains of what used to be once grand train station now a mere ruin of its former self reclaimed over the years by the muck and filth. However someone had apparently set up shop here a great deal of the dust and grime had been cleaned away to make room for rows upon rows of machinery that ranged from out of date antiques of the fifties and sixties to the latest in cutting edge technology. The entire chamber vibrated and thrummed as even more machinery toiled away for some dark and nameless purpose in the chambers underneath the station the entire arrangement powered by a hijacked network of power cables that ran from the power plant all across the city supplying the area with the massive amount of electricity required to power the sophisticated machinery.

While not all of the equipment was running at full power or even functioning properly there was enough activity going on to suggest that someone had been at work converting the abandoned chamber into a base of operations for quite some time now. Yet despite the various electronics that littered the area not so much as a light bulb had been set up to try and penetrate the thick veil of shadows that held the abandoned train station in its iron grip. Instead torches and paper lanterns were strung about fueled by emerald flames that seemed to give off an unnaturally intense glow. These primitive attempts to illuminate the surrounding area seemed to have been designed only to illuminate the bare minimum that was required to keep whatever operation was being run here going smoothly leaving the rest of the station plunged into impenetrable shadow.

As the two passed underneath a massive chandelier hanging suspended from the tall ceiling a series of wet ripping sounds from above drew the figure's attention. With a sickening splat what was left of a human leg fell to the ground followed by several spatters of blood. "Ah, and so the dynamic duo returns at last," A heavily accented velvety voice called out condescendingly from the chandelier accompanied by the rustling of wings. "I was wondering if you'd bother to show up or whether our lord would give me the privilege of hunting you down and dropping your worthless carcasses at his feet. Too bad, I was hoping to have a bit of after dinner exercise." The voice said snidely before the wet ripping and tearing sounds started up again blood trickling down from the ceiling like a rain of gore. "Ah stuff it Keroto like you'd really bother sticking your neck out to do any kind of physical labor other than stuffing your face with the locals. Besides if you removed your nose from up the boss's ass for more than five seconds you'd suffer with drawl symptoms." The figure snapped flipping the bird to owner of the voice up on the chandelier.

From out of the darkness before the two came a low rasping chuckle. "Ah, Joka," The voice mused. "You have such a way with words." The voice said dryly. A small greenish flame blazed to life revealing a shadowy silhouette seated on a throne cobbled together from cannibalized metal and rotted leather. The flame revealed just enough of the figure to show that it was dressed in a flowing green cloak that hid its body from view. Aside from a crimson scarf that covered the figure's mouth and nose the only other feature visible on the shadowy silhouette was a pair of venomous green eyes with snake like pupils that stared unblinkingly at Joka and Mr. Peckers with a mixture of annoyance and some amusement. "Uh, lord Orochimaru sir! I uh, didn't know you were right, there yeah should I just go and dig my grave right now and save you guys the trouble?" He asked seeing himself real dead real fast. "Come now Joka the way you're acting one would almost suspect that your not happy to see me." Orochimaru said bemusedly. "Oh no sir always, er, I mean we're always happy to see you sir, it's just that, um,"

"It's just that you were concerned that you had not performed your given assignment well enough to meet my requirements am I correct?" Orochimaru hissed his eyes glittering with amusement at watching Joka squirm. "Yes, I mean no, no! I did the job perfectly, flawlessly even." He babbled. There was a pregnant pause. "Hmm, I see, well then seeing as how you seemed to have performed the task of observing my former apprentice Zeruge in battle after seven hundred years of confinement in Japan so well why don't you tell me your findings I'm all ears." Orochimaru said pouring himself a cup of liquid from a ceramic pot and raising it to his lips. Joka gulped loudly and would have been sweating buckets had he been able to. "Uh, o-okay. Um, let's see here ah, w-well there was punching, and some kicking, and some lasers. I think there were some missiles flying around and blowing stuff up too oh! And there was a lot of screaming, I definitely remember screaming." Joka added hopefully. Mr. Peckers smacked himself in the face with his wing not wanting to believe that his idiot of a partner had just said that. But if the figure in the shadows was in any way annoyed with Joka's less than detailed report he didn't show it in any way merely nodding his head at regular intervals. "Yes, generally a fair bit of screaming does take place in a battle. And while your report is certainly, ah, _vivid_, in it's details I'm afraid I require something a little more steeped in fact, not fiction." The figure rasped gently putting down the cup.

Suddenly from the darkness behind the figure came a loud rustling sound like something enormous was dragging its scaled body across the ground. A portion of the inky blackness around Joka and Mr. Peckers seemed to solidify a large pair of red snakelike eyes cracked open and a hissing like the sound of air escaping from the tires of a monster truck emerged from the darkness. "For example," Orochimaru continued as though not noticing the sudden distress his servants were in. "How fast was Zeruge running? What was his average heart rate during the battle? What tactics did he use, what powers did he use? How did he act when angered? How did he fight when injured this is the information I need to know Joka and to that end I sent you and your beaked familiar to gather this information. Now clearly as I suspected would happen you lost focus on the task and hand and let your mind wander as it does so very often. Sadly as much as I approve one stopping to enjoy the little things in life I'm afraid that due to your inability to follow a remarkably straightforward order my plans will suffer setbacks and that simply cannot go unpunished." Orochimaru said his tone suddenly turning cold and hostile. The hissing noise intensified as the silhouette of something large and menacing began to weave its way around Joka in a bone-crushing embrace. Joka's blood red eyes seemed to balloon out of proportion seeming fit to burst as the tight grasp of his unseen captor built in pressure until it seemed only a matter of time until Joka popped like an overgrown zit.

With strength born of desperation Mr. Peckers managed to wriggle out of the clutches of their attacker flying over to the figure seated on the throne and resting the microchip that he had found in the robot on the ground at the figure's feet like a piece offering which in fact it was. Orochimaru's emerald gaze locked onto the microchip and widened an inch or two in surprise. "Well, well, well what do we have here?" He intoned reaching down and plucking the chip off the ground gently. All of a sudden Joka fell to the floor in a heap his mysterious assailant gone as though it had never been there. "Wha-what is it boss?" Joka managed to squeak as he tried to force air back into his lungs. Orochimaru turned the chip over in his fingers his attention now completely diverted to the odd little gizmo. "Well Joka it appears that while you were dawdling about your feathered friend seems t have salvaged a rather useful component from the machine that Zeruge and his companions were battling. In fact, if I'm not mistaken this microchip was the main component in the robots motherboard and memory banks, I don't suppose either of you have any clue as to what that means." He said raising an eyebrow.

Joka scratched the back of his head at a total loss. "Uh, it means that if the father board got the mother board pregnant than all we have to do is wait for nine months and we'll have a baby board?" He ventured. Mr. Peckers slumped his shoulders in defeat wondering if it was too late to pursue his old life scraping road kill off the side of a highway interstate. Orochimaru ran a hand over his face in exasperation. "Ah, no. Actually, what it means is that in this little chip," He held up the microchip and tapping it with a long slender finger. "Is the machine's entire recorded memory banks which are no doubt labeled, catalogued, and organized in an easy to access manner that will take quite a bit of guess work out of the initial stages of our little project and as a result we will be able to begin work on the task at hand that much more quickly. Or to put it in terms the likes of you would be able to understand your feathered friend just gave me a reason to spare your life." He concluded settling back in his makeshift throne. "Oh," Joka said simply. "Still I am hoping that you will be a bit more focused on your assigned mission the next time I have need of your talents am I making myself clear?" Orochimaru asked raising an eyebrow.

Joka and Mr. Peckers both bowed their heads respectfully before their leader. "Good," He purred sipping again from his cup. "After all your numerous flaws and questionable mental health aside you two are nonetheless two of my most formidable agents and it would be an honest shame to have to dispose such talented minions." Orochimaru said simply sloshing the liquid around in his cup staring into its murky contents meditatively. "Uh, does this mean that I'm free to go because I figured I'd get in a little work down in the lab before calling it a day." Joka inquired stretching his arms out and giving a yawn. "A good idea Joka, I will be sure to let you know when I'm ready for you to play your next part in our little game." The figure said waving his hand dismissively. With that Joka scuttled back into the shadows leaving the figure alone in the flickering shadows as slowly the emerald flame began to burn out. "And so the first piece of the puzzle falls into place, and with it the beginning of the end." Orochimaru rasped the cradling the microchip in his long slender hand as the fire flickered out only his emerald eyes shining in the darkness.

Whew! I thought I'd never end this freaking chapter! At last we get a glimpse at Zeruge's former master the demon Orochimaru. What diabolical scheme is he and his minions plotting in secret and what does it have to do with Zeruge? All will be revealed in time but first a certain sorceress tries to make some headway with her growing feelings for a certain demon swordsman following a romantic moonlit flight through the city among other tender moments between beauty and beast. With Starfire's help will Raven be able to find the nerve to try her hand at love one for a second time? Or will Joka and Mr. Peckers's gory debut put a damper on the romantic atmosphere? Who knows I guess you'll just have to stay tuned and find out! Ta-ta for now.


	7. Chapter 7

The Girl Who Loved A Monster

By Metal Overlord 2.0

Whew! I just barely avoided participating in one of our family's oldest traditions: a three hour drive up to Cape Cod so we can spend five days with my grandmother, a catholic vegetarian turned Buddhist who is on a never ending campaign against the evils of trans fats and calories. Don't get me wrong the place isn't all that bad, except for the little tiny problem that it had NO ACCESS TO THE INTERNET! However due to some scheduling mix ups we decided to return home and take a rain check on our yearly venture to the cape. Realizing that I had just dodged five days without being able to contact any of my fellow writers and friends online I decided that it was a good time to get my latest chapter posted as soon as possible. So here I am with the latest chapter in my very first and apparently quite popular fanfic, as a token of my appreciation I've decided to make this chapter longer than usual so you get more bang for your buck, no need to thank me I just live to give LOL So, without further delay, enjoy!

_Fire raged around Zeruge as he ran among the burning buildings. The foul smelling smoke hung thick in the air contracting around his lungs like a vice. Everywhere he turned the smell of blood filled the air mingling with the acrid smell of the inferno around in a hellish scent of carnage. To the left and right of him he saw people, neighbors, childhood friends, all butchered like animals some maimed beyond recognition those that still had faces gazed vacantly at him with expressions of utter terror and anguish. His sandals slipped and skidded on the rivulets of blood that wove amongst the corpses and destroyed homes the small rivers of gore soaking through his socks as he ran. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he turned Zeruge saw only more of the same, people he had cared for, people he had grown up with, gutted and torn limb from limb like slaughtered livestock. This world, the world he had grown up in and had held so precious to his heart, was gone forever, yet still he searched the blazing rubble still hoping against hope that the last fragment of the life he had led here, his last source of solace, had not fallen prey to the same mindless brutality that had befallen the other poor souls in the village._

_Then in the distance he made out a figure standing in the midst of the blaze. A woman of breath taking beauty, dressed in a kimono as white as the new fallen snow and with black hair that cascaded down her shoulders like an ebony waterfall. She turned towards him her chocolate brown eyes filled with gentle warmth and love looking adoringly at him from behind a pair of wire frame glasses perched on the edge of her small delicate nose. She smiled at him and spoke but the words were too vague for Zeruge to make out. Then to his horror the shadows around her seemed to take on a life of their own. Out of the darkness a monstrous serpent with blazing green eyes wove around the woman ensnaring her in its bone-breaking embrace. Seeming to leer at him the serpent licked its long forked tongue across the nape of the woman's neck as though claiming her for its own. "No, get away from her!" He cried out looking around for something, anything to use as a weapon but there was nothing that could combat such a beast._

_Desperate to save her he ran towards her but the ground in front of him seemed to stretch out before him no matter how much he ran the distance between him and the woman never seemed to shrink. Helpless he watched as the serpent loomed its great head over the woman its jaws stretching wide to swallow her whole. The woman looked at Zeruge and gave a gentle smile of peace and resignation whispering his name even as the beast engulfed her whole. "MOTHER!" Zeruge screamed tears in his eyes as the flames and shadows around him seemed to coalesce into a swirling vortex leaving only blackness and those horrible emerald green eyes leering at him, mocking him for his weakness, his helplessness at being unable to do anything to prevent this. And even then he could still his mother calling his name becoming louder with each time. "Zeruge, Zeruge!" The voice said the tone changing even as the shadows around him seemed to lift. "Zeruge will you wake up already I'm losing the feeling in my legs!" A familiar voice called out containing a mixture of concern and irritation._

Zeruge's yellow and black cat's eyes slowly cracked open and for a few seconds he was confused as all he could see was blackness his face nuzzling into what almost felt like a pair of pillows. "Ahem," Said someone above him. Moving his gaze upwards he saw Raven looking down at him an expression of restrained amusement on her face. "Comfy?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Apparently while Zeruge had been having his nightmare he had burrowed his head into Raven's cleavage while his arms wrapped tightly around her petite waist for comfort. Still somewhat groggy his initial thought was how wonderfully warm and cozy her breasts were and how he'd like to go back to sleep for a little bit longer. Not quite aware of the reality of the situation he gave a nod yawning and snuggling a bit deeper into Raven's cleavage purring softly at how comfortable he was. Then something in his mind seemed to click his eyes snapping open now the size of Frisbees. His eyes (or at least one of them one of Raven's nipples was poking into his left eye) traveled slowly upwards back to Raven, who still looked down passively at him strangely calm despite this heinous intrusion of her personal space, and back to the mound of womanhood his snout was currently lodged in. The gears and cogs of Zeruge's tiny little brain sputtered, squeaked, and finally came to a complete stop all mental activity screeching to an abrupt halt as the demon tried to comprehend just how dire the consequences of such an awkward position would bring to his physical and mental well being.

Eventually the reality of the situation managed to penetrate his somewhat dense skull and with a girlish shriek he leapt out from out of Raven's lap at roughly the speed of light. Red in the face and babbling incoherent apologies over and over Zeruge was bowing his head so low to the ground that his forehead was smacking the pavement. Raven watched him grovel and plead for his life for about seven minutes before gently clearing her throat making Zeruge halt in mid grovel. "As entertaining as watching you trip over yourself as you beg for forgiveness is don't you think that I would have done something by now if I was really offended?" She asked in a matter of fact manner. Blinking slowly Zeruge settled into a lotus position on the ground thinking it over now that the threat of violent disembowelment was apparently no longer an immediate issue. Hesitantly he gave a small nod not quite sure if it was safe to speak lest he give Raven the opportunity to rip out his tongue or some other equally nasty form of retribution. "So seeing as I haven't as of yet mutilated, traumatized, and/or berated you, wouldn't it be a safe assumption that I'm not that angry for something you weren't even aware that you were doing?" She reasoned. "Uh, well, I-I suppose so," He admitted still somewhat red in the face after being in such a socially awkward, albeit biologically satisfying, position with the woman that had taken him in and offered him food and shelter. _And look how I repay her generosity **he** thought dismally to himself by burrowing into her cleavage like a gopher digging into a mound of dirt, I see my social skills haven't improved all that much over the last few centuries_ he thought with a sigh.

"Actually table manners aside you've been remarkably well behaved for a demon, now if you really want to see bad social skills you should see Beast-Boy when we got to the movies we've had to dig him out of heaps of popcorn tubs because he flaps his gums through the whole thing more times than I care to remember." Raven said rolling her eyes. "I guess, but sti-" Zeruge started to say before he stopped slowly turning his head in Raven's direction and looking at her like she just sprouted butterfly wings. "How did you know what I was thinking?" He asked dumbfounded. Raven gave a lopsided grin and tapped the side of her head with her left index finger. "I can read your mind using my mental powers, too bad I didn't take up professional poker or I'd be lounging on a beach in the Bahamas right now instead of running around babysitting the knucklehead brigade." She said bemusedly. "I see, huh, all of a sudden I feel very exposed." Zeruge said twiddling his fingers together understandably nervous at this latest development. Seeing his unease Raven waved a hand dismissively. "Relax Zeruge I can only read a person's thoughts if I'm right next to them. And even then it was hard to make out exactly what you were thinking that thick head of yours is armored like a tank." She explained. "Oh, alright then," Zeruge said unsure whether that had been a compliment or an insult.

"So, you're not going to kill me?" He asked cautiously. Raven shook her head and gave a small yawn. "Nah, I'm too tired to kick your big gray ass, besides the look on your face when you realized what you were doing was worth it." She said giving a mischievous little grin. Breathing a gargantuan sigh of relief Zeruge wiped the sweat off his brow. "Whew, that's a relief." He said grateful to be able to live to see another day. Modern day women were turning out to be a far more dangerous species than he had ever expected. Raven suddenly cleared her throat catching the demon's attention. "Now seeing as I've decided to spare your life isn't their something you want to say to me hmm?" She intoned arching an eyebrow. "Oh, uh yes." Zeruge said scratching the back of his head embarrassed. Getting on his knees he bowed before Raven. "Thank you Master Raven goddess of the universe, you are a being of limitless mercy and beauty." He said reverently. "Damn straight, and don't you forget it either devil boy." Raven said resisting the urge to laugh. _I could get used to this_ she thought to herself enjoying having someone follow her around and worship the ground on which she walked. Now if only she could get this kind of treatment more often, nothing big just maybe a day off in her name, a parade or two, some throngs of screaming fans, little things like that.

Suddenly a stab of pain shot through her leg making her hiss in pain snapping her out of her thoughts. "Master Raven your hurt!" Zeruge said rushing over to her side. "I'll be fine Zeruge, I just got a little banged up that's all." She said trying to sit up before another sharp pain made her wince. "Then again maybe I could use a little patching up." She said begrudgingly. "Try to lie still." He advised resting his claws on her injured leg. Raven's cheeks flushed a bit from the feeling of his metal talons touching her bare skin but she managed to get over it nodding. Zeruge began to pour his energy into her body the black aura flowing from him and into her injuries making her tingle all over. It was an odd sensation, like a thousand butterflies were fluttering around her insides tickling her with their wings. Little by little the pains in her leg and her other injuries began to ebb away until all that was left of her excruciating pains a moment ago was a lingering soreness in her leg and a few aches in her side. Experimentally moving her leg she couldn't help but be impressed at seeing that it was almost fully healed, it was still a little tender but she imagined it would be fine by morning. "Um, thank you." Raven said softly giving the demon warrior a look of quiet gratitude.

"Your very welcome Master Raven. But how on Earth did you get such injuries?" Zeruge inquired. Her expression changed to one of confusion. "You mean you don't remember?" She asked surprised. "Remember what Master Raven?" Zeruge asked cocking his head to one side slightly. Raven had to resist the urge to do an anime style face plant wondering if the impact from hitting that streetlamp had killed what few brain cells the demon still had. "Well generally when someone bursts into flames, act like they just got a really bad case of rabies, scream themselves hoarse, and rip apart armored robots like they were made out of tin foil and toothpicks it's a little hard to forget." The sorceress replied exasperated. Zeruge looked at Raven like she had just informed him that she was from another planet and had come to suck out his brain with a bendy straw. "Master Raven I hate to be frank but what in the hell are you talking about?" He asked incredulously. Raven gave a sigh and pointed to something behind him. The demon turned around and found himself looking into the glassy vacant gaze of what was left of the robot's face which was now separated from the mangled remain of its body staring up at him with cracked lenses almost accusingly. With a little yelp of surprise Zeruge scuttled backwards before realizing that the robot's severed head was in no position to do anything other than act as a rather morbid paperweight.

"Did…did I do that?" The demon asked bewildered. "Partially, I helped soften it up a little before you jumped in and blew it to kingdom come but most of that's your handiwork. After you hit your head on that streetlamp I fell behind to make sure you were okay but then-" Raven started to say before Zeruge butted in. "Wait you went back for me? Why did you do that?" He asked. A little irritated at the interruption she gave him an exasperated look. "Did you really think I was going to let you run free around the city? The last time you wandered off by yourself you almost wound up with your head mounted on the living room wall. I wasn't exactly wild about the prospect of you unsupervised in the middle of a major metropolitan area. Can I continue?" She asked somewhat crossly. Zeruge nodded. "Sorry, go right ahead." He said curtly. "Thank you, now where was I? Oh yeah, I had gone back to check on you only I wound up getting left behind by the others. This wouldn't have been to bad if I hadn't lost me communicator while we were running from Chang's robot. To make matters worse said robot ambushed us having used my communicator to track down out location. On top of that it absorbed a huge amount of electricity from an underground power cable which-yes Zeruge?" Raven asked through gritted teeth. The demon had raised his hand like a student in a classroom and had been waving it to catch her attention. "Sorry for interrupting again Master Raven but what exactly is a 'power cable'?" He asked scratching the top of his head. "It's a series of metal cables used to transfer electricity to the entire city." She explained quickly starting to get a bit peeved with the constant interruptions.

"Oh," Zeruge said simply. "Exactly what is electricity?" He inquired. "It's a form of energy that acts like artificial lightning, now as I was saying," She said hastily her teeth starting to grind together. "The robot transformed becoming even more of a pain in the ass and attacked us. I tried to fight it off but it overpowered me and almost OH FOR AZAR'S SAKE WHAT IS IT THIS TIME ZERUGE!" Raven yelled angrily on the verge of popping a blood vessel. Zeruge simply gave her that dopey grin of his. "I'm sorry this is all very entertaining and all but how does this have anything to do with me-AWK!" The rest of the demon's latest question was cut off along with the oxygen going through his windpipe as a claw of dark energy wrapped its fingers around his throat and yanking him over until he was eyeball to eyeball with Raven who looked like she was ready to bite his head off. "Tell you what devil boy," She said icily. "How about you sit still, keep your big mouth shut and LET ME FINISH WHAT I'M SAYING IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK!" She roared Zeruge's face flapping from the force of her yells arcs of energy shattering streetlamps over head and raining glass onto the pavement. "Yes ma'am." The poor demon managed to squeak. "Good." Raven growled plopping him down on the ground hard and rubbing her temples trying to calm down a little. Managing to restrain her irritation enough for her to no longer see everything in a red haze Raven took a few deep breaths just to be safe.

"Okay, obviously you don't seem to have the greatest attention span and seeing as how the next time I blow a gasket like that I won't likely be able to restrain myself from ripping your lips off maybe I should wrap this up before you give me any more reasons to hurt you." Raven reasoned pinching the bridge of her nose to try and sooth her aching head. It was just way too much of a strain on her poor nerves to be put through so much of this crap in one day it simply wasn't healthy for her or anyone else around her for that matter. Dear Azar what she wouldn't give to be home right now to be back home and in bed curled up with a good book and a cup of tea. But sadly at the rate things were going by the time she did get back home she wouldn't be in any kind of shape to do anything other than pass out on the floor. Zeruge gave a small nod rubbing his throat somewhat tenderly. She then gave a quick but thorough explanation of how Zeruge had woken up and attacked Chang's robot. Surprisingly now that she had managed to get into his thick skull to sit down and shut up he was remarkably calm about the revelation that he had just a short while ago gone completely out of his gourd and had ripped the fearsome mechanized war machine into remarkably small bits and pieces. He didn't exclaim his skepticism nor did he at any time express doubt of her state of mental health he just sat and listened.

"I see," He said at last once Raven had finished her recollection of the battle, well, minus the parts where he licked her face. She had kept that particular incident under wraps in an attempt to salvage what precious little dignity she still had. "So that would explain why I saw that dream…" He said to himself. "Dream?" Raven asked confused. Realizing that he had though out loud he waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing important really. Just something that happens whenever I transform like that." He explained. "Whenever? You mean this has happened before?" Raven asked surprised. The demon nodded. "It's a sort of defense mechanism that I have. Whenever myself or someone near me is in mortal danger and I am unable to assist the seal that restrains my powers is undone for a brief instant allowing a portion of my full power to bleed through and increases my speed, strength, and fire power ten fold. The stronger the bond that I have with the person that is in danger the more aggressive in battle I become. In a nutshell I sort of reverted to a primal state of awareness my body responding to my instincts rather than my coherent thoughts while my adrenaline and testosterone levels skyrocketed and my flame powers channeled energy directly from my emotions." He said in a tone that suggested that events such as this were pretty much par for the course in his life.

The dark sorceress merely sat there in silent fascination at this latest discovery about the demon swordsman. Just when she thought she had figured Zeruge out he took everything that she had known about him and turned it on its head revealing a completely different side of him. It was actually rather intriguing as he seemed like a puzzle, just when Raven thought she had figured him out another wrinkle was added making things even more complicated, and she had always been a sucker for a good puzzle. This was in part due to her less than adept social skills, which gave her an abundance of free time so when she wasn't reading books or meditating she liked to exercise her deductive reasoning with various puzzles having a particular affinity for crossword puzzles, which explained how every time the newspaper came to the tower the section with the crossword puzzles seemed to vanish into thin air without explanation. Wondering why in the blue blazes she was thinking about crossword puzzles Raven shook her head as though to clear some of the mental cobwebs cluttering around in her brain. _Is it just me, she wondered, or am I getting a little too inwardly focused with my thoughts these days?_ Before she could further ponder this inexplicable urge to have deep philosophical observations about herself a low rumbling began to shake the bits and pieces of rubble and broken glass on the ground. "Earthquake?" Zeruge wondered aloud as the rumbling seemed to intensify. "Knowing our luck it's probably about two thousand more of Chang's robots." Raven grumbled wondering if there was any chance at all that she would ever have a moment's peace.

She got her answer when a large green elephant smashed through the wall opposite them giving a trumpeting bellow as it flattened a brand new Cadillac like a tin can beneath its massive feet. "Oh goody, the cavalry is here." Raven said with a sigh. Sure enough the other Titans scrambled through the large hole that Beast-Boy had made with Robin in the lead followed by Cyborg and Starfire. Cyborg charged up both his sonic cannons ready to blow the living crap out of anything that was over twenty feet tall and had more than two legs. "Okay you rusty bucket of bolts come on out and show yourself because I'm kicking ass and taking-" The rest of Cyborg's gung ho shoot-first-don't-bother-asking-questions-later mantra died in his throat as he saw the mangled heap of mutilated scrap metal that had up until a few minutes ago a heavily armed mechanized engine of destruction which had sent his beloved T-Car to the big auto shop in the sky. "-Names?" Cyborg managed to finish his one good eye almost popping out of its socket. Beast-Boy had reverted to his regular form and was right beside the bionic teen wearing a similar expression of surprise. "Dude, what the heck happened? It looks like somebody took a can opener to that thing." He exclaimed looking around as though expecting the guilty tool to be still in the immediate area.

Raven opened her mouth to say something, though it was hard to tell whether it was to explain what had happened or simply to voice her irritation at her teammates on showing up about half an hour after they could have been of any use, when suddenly she was stripped of the ability to speak as well as breathe when Starfire flew over and embraced both her and Zeruge in a hug that almost broke every bone in Raven's torso all over again, which would have defeated the purpose of Zeruge healing her in the first place. "Oh, I am elated to see that both of you are unharmed!" Starfire bubbled squeezing tightly as though her bone breaking grip was the only thing keeping her friends from running off and getting themselves hurt. "Is…she always…this affectionate?" Zeruge managed to croak out between trying to breathe his face changing colors faster than a mood ring. "Just be grateful…she hasn't…made you one of her puddings." Raven gasped squirming around trying to free herself from the Tamaranian's loving but suffocating embrace. Considering that Starfire's alternative expressions of joy was alien folk songs with a quarter of a million lyrics and what apparently passed for food on her planet, neither of which was easy on the ears of the digestive track, this was actually one of her more tolerable rituals of fondness. Still nobody had complained when Robin had decided to put the number of a local chiropractor on speed dial.

"As wonderful as it feels to lose the feeling in my legs would you mind letting us go miss Starfire?" Zeruge asked his voice cracking a bit under the amount of pressure being put on his ribs. Starfire gave a curt nod before depositing the two demons in an unceremonious heap on the ground watching them flop and gasp for breath like a couple of fish that had just been hauled out of the water. "Again I apologize for my less than gentle displays of affection, I am somewhat less than tactful when it comes to expressing my feelings without causing physical injury." Starfire explained sheepishly as she helped the two to their feet. "Really? I had no idea." Zeruge replied with a tone of quiet sarcasm in his voice. Robin cleared his throat to gain the other's attention gesturing to the remains of the giant robot. "As heart warming as this all is would you two mind explaining to me what happened to Chang's new toy?" Robin asked dryly tapping his foot on the ground somewhat irritably. Recognizing the 'start talking' tone in the Boy Wonder's voice signifying that he wanted answers and he wanted them PDQ Raven opened her mouth to offer an explanation when Zeruge, unaware of the delicate nature of their situation, decided that it was best to simply tell the truth.

"Actually what happened was that I was talking with Master Raven when I ran into a streetlamp and was knocked unconscious. She stayed behind to make sure I was alright and as a result we were left behind. Then the large metal monster appeared and attacked Master Raven and I. She tried to fight it off but it proved to be a far more formidable opponent and almost killed her when I-mmph!" The rest of Zeruge's sentence was cut off thanks to Raven who put her hands over his mouth before the dimwitted demon could give Robin exactly the kind of evidence that he needed to see Zeruge locked up in a high security kennel for the rest of his life. "Zeruge sneezed in his sleep which ignited a gas leak nearby and blew the robot to pieces." Raven said quickly flashing a big fake grin. It was by far one of the crappiest excuses one could think of and judging by the look on Robin's face he didn't buy it for a second. "Your telling me a gas leak did THAT," Robin pointed a thumb at the butchered robot. "To a highly sophisticated armor plated engine of destruction designed to withstand concentrated amounts of fire power capable of leveling an entire city block?" He finished arching an eyebrow looking like he was caught between amusement and aggravation. Raven sweat dropped a little. "It was a…really BIG gas leak?" She offered meekly. Deciding that she wasn't convincing anyone here she decided to change tactics and go on the offensive. "And where exactly where YOU guys while I was getting tossed around like a rag doll pray tell?" Raven countered hoping to change the subject.

Deciding that trying to get any more information out of Raven would be about as successful as cutting through a diamond with a tooth pick Robin gave a small sigh deciding that at the moment to let it go. "We didn't realize you two were missing until we were three blocks away. We would have gotten here sooner-" Robin started before Cyborg cut him off. "Except elf boy here convinced us that he could track you guys down by your scents and led us around stopping every five seconds to smell everything we came across." The bionic teen grumbled shooting a glare at Beast-Boy who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I couldn't help it, there were too many different smells in the air and I got distracted." He said defensively. "Too distracted by that half empty bag of Doritos you lead us halfway around the city to find." Cyborg retorted rolling his eyes. "I was hungry!" Beast-Boy complained. Before the two could resume their bickering Robin held up his hand to quiet them down. "Anyway, we were trying to track you guys down when Cyborg's thermal sensors went haywire, we tracked the heat signature and found you guys, which I suppose could have been caused by an explosion like from a gas leak." Robin admitted albeit reluctantly. Starfire yawned suddenly flashing her pearly whites "I apologize for interrupting friend Robin but I am afraid I am as you say, crapped." She said rubbing her eyes. "Uh, well actually the term is 'pooped' Starfire, but I suppose you have a point, it has been a long day. We should probably head back." Robin agreed.

"Uh one problem Robin, how exactly are we going to get back home? In case you forgot we don't have a ride anymore." Cyborg said still a little upset about the loss of his car. "We could take a cab." Robin suggested. "Uh, does anyone have any money?" Beast-Boy asked. The Titans exchanged looks and reached into their pockets, or in Cyborg's case on of his arm compartments, and pulled out what money they have. "I've got about seventeen dollars and thirty two cents." Robin said counting the money in his hand. "Four fifty." Cyborg replied. "Seven dollars and forty nine cents." Raven added. "Uh, I've got two nickels and a penny." Beast-Boy said meekly holding up his miniscule amount of cash. Starfire rummaged around in her pocket before pulling out a piece of pre chewed bubblegum, a paperclip, a rubber band, and a piece of lint. "May I ask how much I am in possession of? I am still learning the value of your local currency." Starfire pondered trying to determine the value of her gum. The others heaved a sigh not having nearly enough money to pay for a trip.

Zeruge scratched his chin thoughtfully before he reached into his wing. "I have some money from my time but I'm not sure how useful it will be in this day and age." Zeruge offered rummaging through the unseen depths of his wing. Robin gave a shrug. "Maybe it would be worth something to a local coin shop." He ventured. Zeruge gave a triumphant 'Ah-HA' and removed something from his wing. It was a small leather pouch no bigger than a water bottle. When he undid the string and flipped the bag over a pile of gold coins poured out glinting in the moonlight. "Would this be of any help?" The demon asked the Titans, who were staring at the pile of gold with eyes that were now three times larger than before. "That, uh, that ought to do the trick." Robin said in a state of shock. "I'm glad that I was able to help." Zeruge said with a pleased look on his face taking Robin's hand and emptying the gold in it and giving the bewildered teen a friendly pat on the shoulder. "If it's alright with you guys I think I'll pass. I've had enough driving for one day and I need to make sure devil boy over here doesn't get himself lost." Raven said glancing over at Zeruge who gave a small huff at her comment unable to repress a small grin at his reaction.

"Aw, Ravey wants to be alone with her boyfriend." Beast-Boy crooned making kissing noises up until Raven grabbed his lips and stretched them out like a rubber band. "Do you think these would look good on my wall Zeruge?" Raven asked casually as though the green shape shifter's lips were in fact a household decoration, which they were about to become unless Beast-Boy somehow learned how to keep his mouth shut, though the chances of that happening were somewhat slim. Impossible, no, but slim regardless. Zeruge merely gave a shrug. "I don't know Master Raven, his lips wouldn't match the color of your rug. Although if you put his shriveled head in a jar and put it on the window sill it would look great when the morning sunlight hit it." He offered flashing his canines in a mischievous grin. "Ooh, I hadn't though of that." Raven cooed delighted with the idea. "Now Raven I'm not saying that doesn't sound like a bad idea, but could you wait until tomorrow before ripping his head off? I don't have my video camera with me." Cyborg said with a chuckle. Raven gave a small pout but released her stranglehold on Beast-Boy's lips leaving his mouth looking like an anteater's.

The others left to find a cab leaving the two demons alone at last. "Finally, I thought I'd never get away from those guys." Raven said with a sigh. "They are a strange lot aren't they?" Zeruge said with a chuckle. Raven nodded and gave him a small smile. "Yeah, but to be honest I wouldn't have them any other way." She admitted. The demon nodded stretching out his great bat like wings preparing for flight. "I can understand that, now shall we?" He offered. Raven nodded closing her eyes and chanting the magic words she used. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS." She chanted waiting for the coming rush of power to render her airborne. A minute passed and nothing happened. "Uh, let me try again." She said flustered. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Raven chanted a bit louder this time concentrating intensely on willing herself to fly. This time a few pitiful sparks of energy crackled around her before fizzing out with a rather feeble pop. Zeruge arced an eyebrow less than awestruck at this display of Raven's powers. "Forgive me for being observant but I take it that's not supposed to happen?" Zeruge asked wryly earning a death glare from the dark sorceress. "Azarath, Metrion ZINTHOS! Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS! AZARATH METRION FREAKING ZINTHOS!" Raven hollered at the top of her lungs willing every fiber in her body to fly only to be rewarded for her Herculean efforts by a few more feeble sparks. "I guess that battle with our metallic adversary drained your powers almost completely." Zeruge said blatantly stating the obvious as though only he was aware of what was happening.

Unable to contain her frustration over this latest in a string of unfortunate and inconvenient series of events Raven went ballistic hopping up and down, stamping her feet, gnashing her teeth, and swearing in every single language she could muster at the top of her lungs the air ringing with unspeakably perverse vulgarities that put both rappers and heavy metal stars alike to shame. Fortunately due to the fact that she had all but drained herself of her stamina Raven's outburst failed to produce the usual torrent of dark energy that such hissy fits tended to produce although a few bolts of energy here and there did a little bit of damage. However the way Raven was trashing the place tearing through everything in her path like a tornado of hormonally unbalanced teenage angst she really didn't need any help in the matter. She proceeded to kick, scratch, and lash out at anything within reach (fortunately Zeruge was not among the objects that fell victim to the dark sorceress's unchained fury as he had wisely taken cover at the beginning of Raven's temper tantrum). Twenty minutes later Raven eventually ran out of gas as she stood in the middle of the destruction she had wrought panting like a winded racehorse that had just won the champion ship derby. Poking his head out from underneath an overturned Thunderbird Zeruge eyed his master warily careful to not draw attention to himself until he was certain she had gotten all of that pent up frustration out of her system. "Feeling better?" He asked getting to his feet and dusting himself off. Raven took a few deep breaths before nodding. "Actually, yeah. Of course it still didn't change the fact that I now have no way of getting back home." Raven said sighing.

Zeruge cleared his throat suddenly seeming a tad nervous. "Uh, w-well," He said twiddling his talons together nervously. "I, well you know, I could carry you back, I-if that's alright with you Master Raven." The demon said quickly before cringing expecting to be blasted into the next time zone. You could almost hear the cracking vertebrae as Raven whipped her head around to look at the cowering demon her cheeks now beet red. "I beg your pardon?" She asked a mixture of different emotions flashing through her mind ranging from embarrassment to elation to gratitude. It was somewhat surreal watching Zeruge sheepishly drag his armored foot across the ground the nervous motion not quite matching his fearsome appearance. "Well, I just figured that it's been a long night for both of us and I really don't think you having to walk all the way home would do you any good Master Raven. I'm not trying to do anything perverted if that's what your thinking it's just," He looked away a solemn look crossing his face. "I wanted to try and repay you for all the trouble I've caused you, that's all." He said softly his pointed ears drooping a little. It was the drooping ears that settled it for Raven really. The somber tone in the demon's voice made it hard enough to not feel sympathy for him but watching his pointed almost elfin ears sag to the sides of his head made her have to resist the impulse to rush over and give the big lummox a hug.

"Oh, alright. I have to admit it's better than us walking all the way home." She admitted giving a sigh. Zeruge's ears perked up almost to the very top of his head at this the demon's eyes now fixed on her in disbelief. "Really? Y-you mean you don't mind?" He asked surprised. Raven pinched the bridge of her nose already starting to have second thoughts about piggybacking with the demon warrior. "Yeah, yeah. Just, don't tell anyone I did this okay? I'd never hear the end of it from Starfire if she saw you lugging me around like a teddy bear." She grumbled softly. Zeruge snapped into a salute. "My lips are sealed Master Raven." He said with a dopey grin on his face. "They better be otherwise I'll have to hurt you and you know damn well how creative I can be when it comes to inflicting pain." She warned though not quite in as harsh a tone as she normally spoke in when delivering threats. Zeruge nodded and turned around kneeling down so that his back was facing her. "All aboard. Next stop Titan's Tower." He said wryly.

Raven merely rolled her eyes and began climbing up the demon warrior's broad armored back. _I should have brought grappling hooks and an oxygen tank_ she thought to herself as she struggled to get a firm hold on the demon's back her feet slipping and sliding on his armor. "Everything all right back there Master Raven?" Zeruge asked noticing she was having a tad bit of difficulty scaling his backside. She opened her mouth to respond when her foot slipped out from under her. In an effort to keep her balance Raven reached out for something to grab hold of and wound up yanking on poor Zeruge's ears as she tried to steady herself prompting the demon to let out a yelp of pain. "Sorry," She grunted as she finally managed to scrabble up to his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck taking a moment to catch her breath. "You know you should really put an escalator or something back here." Raven said a tad irritably. Zeruge merely chuckled and stood up suddenly flexing out his wings and flapping them a few times to ready himself for flight. "Hold on tight." He said to his passenger, who upon seeing now that her feet were at least four feet off the ground tightened her grip on the demon's neck enough to cut off the flow of air. "Maybe not that tight," He squeaked. Blushing a bit Raven eased her grip on his neck somewhat and murmured an apology.

The demon coiled up his haunches like a spring and with a sudden grunt of effort he leapt at least twenty feet into the air before spreading his great bat like wings and flapping them hard enough to send gusts of wind across the ground below scattering rubble and debris like children's toys in a hurricane. Then like an arrow launched from a highly taut bow he flew into the vast starry sky with Raven holding on for dear life. "Don't look down, don't look down," She repeated to herself over and over her eyes tightly shut as to spare her from seeing exactly how far she was from the ground below. Normally flying wouldn't have bothered her in the least but now seeing as how the only thing keeping her from becoming a stain on the sidewalk some couple hundred feet below was the flying skills of a demon warrior whom she had only met yesterday and had the attention span of a rodent she was understandably nervous. Noticing her obvious discomfort Zeruge looked back and gave a small smile. "Don't worry, we'll be able to level out in a second and it will get less turbulent." He called out over the roaring wind. Raven only nodded in response keeping her eyes shut and her grip firm. While it was uncertain whether or not deciding to fly home with her newfound demon friend one thing was for certain, it was going to be a long ride home.

But unbeknownst to neither demon nor man deep in the bowels of the sewer systems a far greater menace was at work than the one they had just vanquished. In the dark depths of the mysterious den of the being known only as Orochimaru as well as the rest of his monstrous brood darkness hung over the abandoned subway station like a veil the few working computers and light sources from the scattered lanterns and torches made the shadows seem to writhe and pulse like a vast organ beating and throbbing to feed strength to some great and monstrous creature. Aside from a seemingly unending series of clicking noises the silence was deafening. Sitting at one of the largest computer monitors in the lair the demon Orochimaru was typing away furiously at a console his long slender fingers dancing over the keyboard like pale spiders. His luminous emerald eyes were transfixed on the numbers and symbols that flashed across the computer screen like strobe lights his serpent like irises contracting and dilating with the flickering lights. Suddenly the stillness was broken by a yawn from the ceiling followed by a series of flapping noises culminating in a thud as something hit the ground not too far from Orochimaru. "Ugh, remind me to refrain from eating senior citizens in the future. Their medication is never easy on my digestion." Keroto grumbled a series of clicking noises echoing across the chamber as the demon made his way to the restroom.

As he passed the demon couldn't help but shake his head at his master's dedication to his work. "I don't suppose your familiar with the concept of sleep?" He asked wryly. Orochimaru's response was a low dry cackle. "You know the old saying Keroto, no rest for the wicked." He mused as he continued typing away not even blinking. "True, but you've been working nonstop ever since Joka and his feathered flunky returned with that microchip. At least allow me to take over for a few hours while you catch some shut eye." Keroto suggested. "Believe me when I say I appreciate your offer but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. This data will be the groundwork for our entire operation. If so much as a single flaw is made in this information as we continue with our task those flaws will be built upon until it becomes a weakness that our enemies will be able to exploit. Therefore I have to make sure that everything is operating properly." Orochimaru explained as he typed. Keroto sighed but knew that it was pointless to argue with his master. "Very well, just try to get a little shut-eye at some point sir. Just because I happen to be nocturnal doesn't mean you should be too. Now if you'll excuse me I have an appointment with the lavatory." He replied with a small sigh rubbing his stomach and shuffling off to the restrooms.

Orochimaru merely chuckled and resumed his work silence settling over the chamber once more. He was so absorbed in his work he didn't even seem to notice the sudden arrival of a hulking figure behind him seeming to have appeared out of nowhere. Sparks of lightning flickered in and out across the figure's massive form illuminating brief glimpses of gold and blue armor covered entirely with two foot long spikes. A single eye, smoldering orange in color shown in the darkness blazing like a miniature sun glared at the seemingly unaware demon with a mixture of bloodlust and triumph. With a speed that was seemingly outside of the capabilities of such a bulky creature it brought down a massive double headed battle axe aiming to split the demon right down the middle. The axe hit the chair with the kinetic force of a meteorite not only slicing it clean in half but making a deep gouge into the solid marble floor that was at least three feet deep and seven feet in length. However the chair was devoid of it's previous occupant the figure's blade meeting only wood instead of flesh. For a second the figure was silent, then in a rumbling growl that sounded like every word was being forced out of it's lungs it spoke. "I see your skill has not dulled in the least these past four hundred years my lord." It growled hefting the axe onto one of its incredibly broad shoulders.

Standing on the edge of the figure's back axe blade was Orochimaru softly clapping his hands at the figure's display of speed and strength. "And I see you've been hard at work training in the mountains as always Baal, you've gotten quite a bit faster since we last crossed blades." He observed pleased to see his second in command had dulled in neither spirit nor strength. Baal merely grunted sitting down on the ground hard enough to shake the entire chamber. "When you're in as boring a position as I am up there in the middle of nowhere there's little else to do but train. Rocks and trees a challenge does not make, forgive me for being frank but I hunger for a challenge worthy of my skills, not more meaningless trivialities. As a fellow warrior you know the truth in what I say." The figure growled his unblinking eye fixed upon the demon lord. Unfazed by the penetrating gaze Orochimaru merely pulled out a bottle of homey sake and poured a cup. "All in good time Baal, all in good time. But in the meantime care for a drink?" He offered. The figure licked his lips and grabbed the bottle in an armored hand the size of a station wagon and emptied the entire bottle in a single gulp. "Ahh, after having to put up with Nomura for a six hour trip over from Japan I needed a strong drink." He said in a gravelly purr.

If Orochimaru was in any way deterred by the demon's lack of manners he gave no sign of it merely sipping at his cup of sake as calm and flexible as a sapling in the midst of a typhoon. "Speaking of which where is she?" He pondered taking another sip of his sake and closing his eyes savoring it. "She dropped me off at the rendezvous point and went to catch her dinner, she heard a new shipment of tuna was being delivered by boat and decided that she could use a good meal after the long swim over here." Baal rumbled. Orochimaru nodded. "I can understand that, a long voyage would make anyone hungry and Nomura is no exception, I just hope she remembers not to use her powers. I doubt the humans will make any connections between a few missing ships and the events to come but if Nomura creates one of her storms in the middle of a crowded harbor it will be a bit harder to keep out activities under wraps." He explained.

Baal opened his mouth to reply when suddenly a shrill scream rose from underneath them rising and declining in an eerie ululation. "What the hell is that?" He wondered his grip on his battle axe tensing. Orochimaru gave a sigh and rolled his eyes. "That would be Joka toying with his latest crop of specimens down in the labs, he has this rather annoying habit of not bothering to make sure his guinea pigs are dead before he dissects them." He grumbled. The scream continued to rise in pitch until Orochimaru finally ran out of patience. "JOKA WILL YOU KEEP IT QUIET DOWN THERE I CAN BARELY HEAR MYSELF THINK!" He roared stomping the ground with his foot hard enough to shake the entire base. Abruptly the scream was cut off with a sickening squelching sound followed by a meek 'sorry boss' and an equally abashed caw from the deranged duo down below. "Gods above give me strength." Orochimaru grumbled rubbing his temples wearily. Baal gave a raspy cackle shaking his head at his master's aggravation. "Calm down my lord, no sense in getting yourself worked up. So I take it everything is going according to plan?" He asked in an attempt to get the demon lord's mind off his less than adept minions. "Yes, the initial data has been gathered and all we need before moving on to the next phase of out operation is the acquisition of a few last minute components and equipment. Once that is out of the way Project: Genesis will begin." The demon lord hissed ominously his emerald eyes blazing with venomous anticipation. The foreboding atmosphere was broken by the sound of someone swearing and the sound of gurgling water. "Uh, lord Orochimaru sir? I'm afraid the toilet is backed up again." The demon said peeking out from the door to the lavatory a small pool of toilet water trickling out. Orochimaru sighed and trudged off to get the plunger. "Of course at the rate Keroto keeps on clogging the damn toilet it's going to take a while." He grumbled as he made his way to the restroom.

Poor Orochimaru, well nobody ever said being a super villain was an easy job LOL I hope you guys liked my latest chapter I had a lot of fun writing it. Next chapter love is literally in the air as Raven takes a ride on the devil express piggybacking with Zeruge on a moonlit flight back to the tower, there will be twists and turns, ups and downs, fluff aplenty and even…geese? And if the two demons can make it home in one piece maybe a certain Tamaranean can convince Raven to have her newfound pet tag along on a day on the town. Will the dark sorceress warm up to the cute and cuddly killing machine or will Joka and Mr. Peckers crash the party? To be honest I don't have a clue as this story is taking so many unexpected twists it's almost got a life of it's own! Ta-ta for now!


	8. Chapter 8

The Girl Who Loved a Monster 

By Metal Overlord 2.0

I know, I know I take WAY too long updating my chapters and I apologize for being so lazy about it. It's not that I don't care about all of the wonderful people that have supported me in my writing (I really do). It's just that I get easily sidetracked whether it be a new videogame, unexpected College assignment, or just having a really nice online chat with my fellow writers. Thankfully some very good friends of mine were able to light a fire under my lazy butt (spares a glance at **Silverstar186 **who hides a flamethrower behind her back whistling innocently) In more ways than one, and I'm finally back in business writing my fanfiction for all of you nice people. Still, I understand that what I did was wrong so as an act of penance I will now insert this carnivorous Earwig into my ear (lets the earwig crawl into his left ear). Huh, kind of tickles (takes a deep breath and then falls screaming to the floor in incredible agony) AAAAAAAHHH! OH GOD!! IT'S EATING OUT THE BACK OF MY EYES!! (First person to figure out where I got that scene from will receive much praise and will possibly get to have one of their ideas used in this story, happy reference hunting ) Enjoy! (The story, not the back of my eyes thank you LOL)

"Master Raven?" Slowly the dark sorceress's eyes fluttered open an inarticulate noise of irritation and exhaustion making its way out of her mouth. She lifted her head an inch off of Zeruge's armored back where a few minutes ago she had been resting her head drifting in between consciousness and sleep. While the flight back to the tower was proving to be far from a luxurious trip (she was going to be sore in some rather interesting places for the next few days) it wasn't nearly as bad as she had first thought it would be. Once Zeruge had leveled out his flight path the ride had become far less turbulent meaning that there was now a chance that Raven would be able to keep down what was left of the contents of her stomach. However the main reason that she was having a hard time staying awake was more likely related to the fact that she was so damn tired from the series of unfortunate events that had greeted her from the moment she had crawled out of bed she wouldn't have been able to stay awake at this point if she was strung up in a barbed wire fence. "Are we there yet?" She asked groggily trying to focus on Zeruge's face through her blurred vision managing to at least half the number of yellow eyes that were looking back at her after a moment's concentration.

The demon gave Raven a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid we still have a little ways to go Master Raven. Sorry to wake you." He said sheepishly. "(Yawn) It's okay Zeruge, it's probably best that I not fall completely asleep or else I'll probably slide right of your back and fall a hundred feet to the ground. Was there something you wanted to ask me?" She inquired rubbing at her eyes with one hand while keeping a secure grip around Zeruge's neck with the other. The demon's eyes darted to the side shyly as though hesitant to say what was on his mind. "Actually, there was something I've been wondering about but I wasn't sure whether or not to ask you." He admitted. "Well it's not like I'm going anywhere so you might as well ask whatever it is that's been bugging you." Raven reasoned. Nodding Zeruge took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Alright. Back with the others when your friend Robin asked what had happened to the robot you covered up for me and made up that story about me setting off a gas leak in my sleep. Now, I enjoy a good story as much as anyone else mind you, but don't you think it would have been easier to simply tell them the truth?" He asked.

"Oh, boy." Raven said giving a sigh. Knowing that she was need to be in some form of consciousness for this one she shook her head trying to dispel the exhaustion that was eating away at her stamina like a pack of piranhas. "Normally it would have been better to have told them the truth Zeruge, but in this case… well let's just say we're in a bit of a delicate situation." She said. Zeruge looked back at her arching an eyebrow. "Forgive me for contradicting you Master Raven but I have yet to see anything that would suggest your life as 'delicate'." He observed wryly. Raven just shook her head lightly unable to repress a small smile. "Maybe I should try and rephrase that," She said giving a sigh. "What I meant was that the other Titans are still a bit uncertain as whether or not to trust you. I mean, don't get me wrong you're not a bad person to be around, but, er, well," Raven paused trying to think of a way to say this without sounding offensive.

"I'm not exactly what you would call normal either correct?" Zeruge finished giving her a small grin to show that he took no offense. "Yeah, I'm not sure they were prepared to wake up today and find a six foot tall demon rummaging around in their fridge, that probably spooked them a bit, especially Robin. He always wants to know exactly what's going to happen next and when it's going to happen so when something out of the ordinary happens he can get a little, how do I put this delicately? Well paranoid seems to fit pretty well so let's go with that." Raven explained grateful that he had not been offended. Considering her current predicament this was NOT a good time to get Zeruge riled up. But then again, when was it a good time to anger a demonic warrior who could charbroil everything in sight? "Gee, and here I thought him throwing those bladed boomerangs at my head was an expression of goodwill. Between his impulse to throw sharp objects at my vital spots, miss Starfire's back breaking hugs, and let's not forget your spectacular temper tantrums, who needs enemies when I have friends like you guys?" Zeruge asked rolling his eyes.

This caught Raven more than a bit by surprise. "You really think of me-I mean, of us as your friends? Even after all the stuff we've done to you?" She asked incredulously managing to conceal the blush on her face after her little slip of the tongue. The demon merely shrugged his shoulders. "Master Raven, in case you didn't notice I don't exactly blend in well with other people. When your six feet tall with pointed ears, claws and fangs your going to get a lot of attention, good and bad. Frankly I would have been surprised if your friends hadn't attacked me. Though I have to admit I wasn't quite expecting your friends to be able to fly, shape shift, and shoot energy blasts at me." He said with a good-natured chuckle. The corners of Raven's mouth twitched into the faintest beginnings of a smile. "Point taken, but now that I've answered your question, would you mind if I asked something this time?" She asked. "By all means." Zeruge replied adjusting his height by tilting back slightly and putting more effort into flapping his wings causing the two to climb another ten feet before leveling out again. They passed through a cloudbank before emerging above into the starry sky. Raven took a moment to watch the sea of fluffy clouds float by like herds of sheep being guided towards the horizon by the light of the moon. It was really rather beautiful and almost worth losing the feeling in her legs.

"Well," She said at last breaking away from the breathtaking view for a moment. "It's really not that big a deal but am I correct to assume that you're Japanese?" She asked. Zeruge merely arched an eyebrow. "More or less the last time I checked. Why do you ask?" He replied uncertainly. "It's just that since we've met you've been able to speak fluently in the English language. Now don't get me wrong I think it's great that we don't need to lug around a Japanese to English dictionary just to understand what your saying, but how was it you came to speak English if your of Japanese origin?" The dark sorceress asked curious. Zeruge scratched his chin thoughtfully as he tried to find an answer to a query that, while not among the more pressing concerns on his mind, had puzzled him as well. "Actually Master Raven, that's a good question. I'm not entirely sure but I suspect that when your blood first entered my body a small portion of your knowledge and personality was absorbed as well. Which would explain why I've suddenly developed a taste for herbal tea and poetry. Neither of which I had much interest in before I'm sorry to say." He ventured.

To say that Raven was surprised at that moment was an understatement. "So, you're saying that when that blade pierced through both of us, a part of my spirit was infused with your body as well as some of my blood?" She asked incredulously. The demon merely gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. "That would be my guess at the very least. When my body directed your blood through my circulatory system it was more or less a survival instinct to get my bodily functions to start up again. As such a portion of your experience, knowledge and behavioral patterns became integrated with my own thought processes in order to give my inert state of being a jumpstart. I hope that doesn't bother you." He said trying to make sure that he wasn't going to do something to set off the dark sorceress again. His ears were still a tad tender from the last time that she had decided to remind him that yes, she was in charge, and no, she was not going to hesitate to enforce her iron fisted dominion over her newly claimed minion/pet. Luckily it seemed that he had not managed to yet again put his foot in his mouth, at least not yet. "Actually it explains something else that's been nagging at me." Raven said thoughtfully. "It does?" Zeruge asked a little surprised that the conversation hadn't gone belly up as what usually occurred when he tried to have any kind of meaningful conversation. But then again he rarely got to say anything past 'hello' before the people he was trying to talk with ran screaming in the other direction.

Raven nodded gazing back out over the starry night sky lost in thought. "Ever since I met you I've felt this sort of…well, a connection between the two of us. It's hard to explain but whenever I'm close to you or nearby I feel warm inside, like I'm not alone in the world and have someone that I can talk to. You make me feel like I'm important rather than someone to be avoided and treated like a freak because I'm different. It's been a long time since I felt that way and I have to admit it feels…kind of nice." She admitted her cheeks turning just the faintest shade of pink. Zeruge on the other hand, seemed to be having an identity crisis unsure whether he was a demon or a tomato judging by the color of his face. "You, you really mean that Master Raven?" Raven reached out and gently scratched him behind the ears affectionately. "As a matter of fact devil boy," She murmured snuggling in a little closer so that she was able to look over his shoulder at him. "I do," "But isn't it true that everyone is important in some way?" Zeruge asked. Raven couldn't quite manage to contain a smile from peeking out at this. "True, but sometimes a girl needs to be reminded that she has people like that who care about her." She said patting him on the head. "Well," He said at last giving her a smile that made her heart beat just a little bit faster. "I hope that you'll count me among one of those people." He purred nuzzling her hand with his cheek. "You better believe it devil boy." She said resting her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes just listening to the demon that she had, against her better judgment, come to call a friend as he purred happily merely content to be at her side.

Suddenly a series of loud honks filled the air. The two demons snapped out of their tender moment just in time to see that they were within spitting distance from a very surprised flock of geese that had just come out from behind a cloudbank in a 'V' formation back from their yearly migration south for the winter. Giving a startled yelp Zeruge tried to hit the brakes but was unable to halt his momentum leading to a mid-air collision that put most New York four way interstate pile-ups to shame. The two factions quickly dissolved into a blizzard of feathers, beaks and claws the air ringing with angry honks and vulgar obscenities in both Japanese, English and Azarathian as the two demons tried to remove themselves from the mass of beaks and feathers that they were now hopelessly entangled in. Poor Zeruge found himself in a bizarre sort of tug-of-war with a particularly miffed goose that had his tongue firmly clasped in it's beak while he had his claws wrapped around it's neck the two combatants attempting to wrest control from the other all the while stretching out the demon swordsman's tongue to a length that you'd expect to see from a KISS band member. Raven, meanwhile, was using her free hand to bat away a pair of geese that were under the impression that her hair would make a good place to crap on which was NOT something she wanted to experience thank you very much. The other offending fowls were content flapping around pecking and clawing at whatever was within range leaving both Raven's cloak and Zeruge's ears in rather poor condition.

Finally reaching the end of his rope Zeruge roared in frustration and began flinging out fireballs scorching feathers and sending the geese scrambling out of the way. Realizing that in this case a 'live and let live' philosophy was a far more appealing prospect as opposed to winding up on someone's dinner table for Christmas the flock took off with a few parting honks departing for less crowded airspace (and in the case of the goose that had snagged Zeruge's tongue, a place to seek anger management counseling). Fluttering in mid air and trying to catch his breath a particularly irritated demon swordsman found himself coughing up feathers and attempting to clean goose crap out of his hair all the while mumbling darkly under his breath. "(Hack) BLECH! God's above what the hell is wrong with the wildlife around here?! You'd think that it wouldn't kill those blasted birds to watch where they're going! Anyway, are you okay back there Master Raven?" He asked rotating a talon in his left ear and attempting to get some of the crap that had gotten in his ear. However, instead of a dry comment or threat to his well being and/or mental health there was only silence. "Uh, Master Raven?" The demon inquired craning his head around and finally noticing that he was now devoid of his previous passenger.

Raven was in fact several dozen feet below him and rapidly descending. She had been dislodged from Zeruge when she had twisted out of the way of an incoming goose that was fleeing the barrage of fireballs causing her to lose her grip and found herself with nothing keeping her aloft but the forces of gravity, which were unfortunately working against her in this case. At the moment she was frantically flapping her arms as though by doing this hard enough evolution would jump a few million years ahead out of pity and provide her with wings as to stop her fall. While this prospect seemed unlikely at best it was a bit more appealing to her than praying (which considering who her father was seemed somewhat unlikely to be answered by any deities that were bothering to observe her latest plight. But that's politics for you). "I could have had wings like my mother but nooooo, I had to inherit good old dad's genes and have to rely on powers to fly that DON'T EVEN WORK THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO!!" She yelled angrily as she plunged to what would no doubt be a rather messy end unless she thought of something fast. This was one of the reasons why Raven preferred to fly with the others so that, in case something like this would happen, Starfire or one of the others could catch her before she literally left her mark on Jump City. However, at this moment the only person who was in any position to help her was probably only now realizing that she was MIA.

As the ground continued to become more and more distinct her life began flashing before her eyes. Of course, due to her upbringing by her father, this was probably not the most comforting series of events to relive just before Raven shuffled off her mortal coil as she was uncertain whether or not she was heading for a less-than-tearful reunion with daddy dearest. Things turned a bit more comforting as she reflected upon her time living with the Titans but this also left her with a pang of regret that the next time they would see her would be in a spot in the obituaries. However at the very end the parade of memories turned to the past few days that she had spent with Zeruge which seemed to offer her a feeling of warmth in her heart knowing that at least she had met someone who truly cared for her and enjoyed her company before she departed this world, for that Raven was grateful to him for giving her something to be happy about before she became a stain on the ground below which was now rushing up very eager to meet her acquaintance. It was perhaps because of the aforementioned demon swordsman that a part of her mind wasn't quite ready to exit stage left now that she had something genuinely endearing in her life to enjoy (a notion that was rather unheard of in the dark dreary recesses of her being) and as such an idea popped into the dark sorceress's head as she plummeted to the ground. Well, it wasn't so much of an idea as a half-baked product of desperation but now was really not the best time to be choosy.

Undoing the clasps that held her cloak on she tumbled head over heels as she focused her concentration entirely upon tying one end of her cloak around one hand before turning to repeat the process with her other hand resorting to tugging the makeshift knot tight with her teeth. After a deep breath and a moment to reflect upon how she would have really liked to have been able to think of a less insane plan she unfurled her cloak turning it into a makeshift parachute. She let out a hoarse yelp of pain as the jarring decrease in speed nearly removed her arms from their sockets but the material that her cloak was made out of somehow managed to hold her aloft as she floated down to the ground at a far more convenient speed. "I don't know what makes less sense, that I thought up such a stupid idea or that it actually worked." Raven said nonetheless relieved that she was no longer in the immediate danger of plunging to her doom, which probably wasn't the best way to end one's day. As she thanked her sudden turn of good fortune (and also made a mental note to write a letter of extreme gratitude to the tailor who made her cloaks) a sudden whistling sound from above drew the dark sorceress's attention. Craning her head up Raven saw none other than Zeruge who was currently rushing down with his wings curled around him to increase speed his body little more than a gray blur. "Well, if it isn't my knight in shining armor." She said wryly a bit miffed that it had taken the big lummox this long to notice her absence but decided that seeing as how she was unharmed to let the matter slide, at least until she thought of a particularly satisfying plan of revenge.

Zeruge meanwhile was screaming downward streamlining himself for maximum speed. As a result, by the time he spotted Raven held aloft by her cloak it was, yet again, a little late to apply the breaks. As a result he zoomed by her at a velocity that was akin to a speeding bullet. Which explained how only two seconds after he had flown down past her did she hear "It'sokayMasterRavenI'mcomingtogetyouholdonIcan'tstopohshit!". "Hmm, I wonder if he'll be able to pull up in time?" Raven pondered to herself only mildly perturbed by the demon's predicament (if a giant killer robot capable of wiping out a city block hadn't been able to do anything more than give him an injured leg and a few bruises than it was highly doubtful that a hundred foot free fall was going to do anything that he wouldn't be able to walk off, or at the very least crawl off). Her question was answered a few seconds later by a loud thud from below. "Nope, I guess not." She said adjusting her makeshift parachute so as to glide down to where she heard Zeruge land. As she neared the ground however a sudden gust of wind blew her right into the branches of a tree leaving her in Mother Nature's scratchy, sticky, and prickly embrace.

Struggling to free herself Raven immediately wished she hadn't as she fell out of the tree to the not so soft ground ten feet below leaving her in an unceremonious heap on the ground. "I should have been a store clerk. I'll take armed robberies and long hours over this crap any day thank you very much." She grumbled plucking a leaf off the top of her head and removing a branch that had been sticking her in the shin. Getting to her feet Raven made a halfhearted attempt to dust off her cloak which, judging from the condition it was in, had very little to look forwards to in the future other than serving as a secondhand washrag. From the scene that lay before her she was able to make two deductions: A) Zeruge had indeed fallen down in this area and B) It had not been a soft landing. This was made evident by the stretch of what had been up until ten seconds ago a rather lovely patch of grass and flowers now little more than a deep crater in the all too familiar outline of a demon swordsman who was no doubt in a very great deal of pain.

"You okay down there devil boy?" Raven called out her voice actually echoing the sides of the pit proving it to be a bit deeper than she originally thought. Her query was replied by an unintelligible groan of discomfort that wafted up towards her. "Just my pride Master Raven," A meek, shaky voice answered her followed by a series of loud cracking noises and fluent Japanese profanity. "Scratch that, make that my pride AND every bone in my body." The voice added somewhat irritably. There was a sound of scrabbling as the demon began to inch his way up the hole the sound of grunting and swearing growing gradually louder as he made his way inexorably upwards. Slowly, painfully, Zeruge managed to crawl out of the hole he had made when he had literally hit the dirt looking like he had just had an intimate encounter with a steamroller and had then been buried under a compost heap. "I'd give you a nine for the dive but you lost a few points when you plowed up the local landscape. Still just to be nice I'll be lenient and give you a score of five." She said with a light smirk playing on her face. "Oh goody for me," Zeruge growled as he managed to clamber to his feet giving fresh whimpers of pain as he did. "That's so generous of you it almost makes me forget the unbelievably excruciating pain screaming through every fiber of my body."

Raven waved a hand dismissively at this. "Aw, it's nothing a few band aids and cooling gel won't fix, and besides knowing you you'll heal yourself right back up again right?" She asked giving the poor demon a comradely slap on the back, which caused him to give a fresh wince of pain. "Just because I (crack) can heal myself when (pop) I'm injured doesn't (crick) make it any less (snap) YEOWCH! Any less painful." He finally managed to get out as his body began the extremely unpleasant process of popping it's bones back into place. "I thought healing powers were supposed to make you feel better, not worse." The dark sorceress commented receiving a somewhat irritated look from Zeruge. "Master Raven, let me put it to you this way: If you break your arm to the point that part of it is jutting out of the skin, do you think that having it be dragged back into place and knitted back together, all the while scraping and jabbing at nerves in your insides, is going to feel good or bad?" He asked. "Uhh, bad?" Raven ventured. "Bingo. So considering that I broke nearly every bone in my body which are now shifting around like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle and getting put back where they used to be, you can probably imagine what I'm going through at the moment." Zeruge said wiping the sweat off his brow and giving a relieved sigh as his body finally finished putting itself back together again with a few final pops.

"Sorry about that Zeruge, I didn't know that it hurt like that every time you healed yourself." Raven said sitting down next to the demon and gently scratching him behind the ears in an attempt to make him feel better. "It's alright Master Raven. It's just one of those little quirks you learn to live with. Which is why I try and avoid serious combat when I can. Oh sure I'm always ready for a quick brawl now and then but it's the life or death battles I try and avoid when possible. Even when I emerge victorious the process of stitching myself back together again makes me envy the dead." Zeruge said looking around at his surroundings suddenly noticing something. "You know, it's the funniest thing, but I think I've seen this place before." The demon observed looking around at the smattering of trees and grass (well, the ones that hadn't been pulverized by his less than gentle descent from above anyway). Now the he had mentioned it Raven did seem to find their surroundings oddly familiar. It wasn't until she saw the tire marks weaving through the grass that it clicked. "Now I know why we both recognize this place, this was the park where Cyborg almost ran over that little old lady who was out walking her dog." She said recognizing the erratic tire trails and pulverized property that was the cybernetic speed freak's calling card whenever he was behind the wheel (to this day Raven still spent moments puzzling over how in blue blazes he had ever managed to secure his driving license).

Raven couldn't help but cluck her tongue in disapproval as she wandered amidst the mangled foliage and broken benches with Zeruge trailing close behind stopping here and there to try and adjust a tilted sign or right an overturned park bench. "Correct me if I'm mistaken but aren't heroes supposed to PREVENT destruction of public property?" The demon swordsman inquired plopping a gouged out handful of flowers back in the hole they had been ripped out of and filled it with dirt in a somewhat lame effort to save the hapless flora. Raven sighed and rolled her eyes skyward. "That's supposed to be the way things work but we have this rather annoying habit of destroying almost as much public property as the bad guys do. It's never intentional mind you but when you combine teenagers with superpowers the outcome tends to get a little messy." She explained recalling more than one situation when the other, herself included, had done more than their share of collateral damage in the process of bringing the many villains of Jump City to justice. When you have the power to lift objects ten times your size with your mind, transform on the fly into the most destructive animals on Earth, can unleash a barrage of sonic blasts and ballistic missiles at a moment's notice, and can level entire buildings with a few well placed explosives subtlety and care for public property doesn't tend to be among your top priorities, especially if you're a teenager.

Making their way through a few bushes (some of which contained thorns much to Raven's displeasure) the two demons came across a stretch of the park that seemed to have taken the brunt of Cyborg's little stroll through the park. As well as an assortment of broken branches, skid marks and obliterated trashcans a statue had apparently fallen off the pedestal that it had been perched on and was now laying on the ground a few feet away. "Well," Raven said at last. "We can't just leave this place like this, I guess we better try and put things back and then get our bearings on which direction the tower is." She decided feeling sympathy for the countless plant life that had been brutally cut down before their time; it hadn't been their fault that Cyborg often had convenient lapses of judgment when distinguishing between 'short cut' and 'off road'. The task of picking up the litter and broken branches was hardly a problem thanks to Zeruge who in almost no time flat had managed to sweep the ground clean of garbage using his nose to sniff out the pieces of trash concealed by bushes and tall grass and carrying the larger branches that had been broken off the trees. Raven, still drained of almost all of her powers, tended to the less strenuous task of putting away what trash Zeruge had found as well as the branches that was small enough for her to carry. Now that the litter had been disposed they turned their attention to the statue.

When they had apparently first knocked the statue loose Raven hadn't been able to get a look at it (most likely due to the fact that she had been at the time keeping her eyes shut and praying to whoever might be listening to let her live to see tomorrow) but upon closer inspection she had to admit it was quite a sight to behold. Apparently someone liked to think WAY outside the box in terms of subject matter the sculptor having decided that if he or she was going to have something put out in the middle of a park it was probably a good idea to make it something so startling and intimidating that no pigeon in their right mind would consider even getting near it, much less use as a toilet. Instead of the traditional, if a tad cliché, statues of Greek gods, historical figures, or abstract sculptures that you had to be under the influence of some kind of illegal substance just to have a vague idea of what the hell it was, the statue depicted a ferocious gargoyle like creature that had an injured female angel ensnared in it's talons. However, instead of hurting her, the beast seemed to be protecting the angel it's wings and claws wrapped protectively around her and holding it close to it's chest. Its fang filled maw was open in a silent bellow of challenge it's ferocious almost leonine face seeming to snarl at some unseen foe.

"Wow," Raven said after examining the statue, which was thankfully still in one piece save for a few chipped pieces here and there. "I don't say this often but that's actually pretty interesting." She said appreciating the dark nature of the subject matter which was a welcome change from what usually past for 'art' nowadays which usually involved some schmuck taking a random object, painting it on a canvas, and then winging a lengthy and completely idiotic explanation of how said object was a window into one's own soul (somehow Raven suspected that the inner workings of her soul was a bit more complex than a giant pencil or a can of pea soup). The original concept of art, which was to use a canvas or clay as a tool to bring the innermost passions, dreams and nightmares of the artist into vivid life, had seemed to fade away as time passed, so to see such a genuinely unique work of art in this time and age was a well appreciated breath of cultural fresh air. However, impressive as it was, the statue's dark allure failed to change the fact that it probably weighed at least a couple hundred pounds and was going to be a gargantuan pain in the ass to get back on it's pedestal even with Zeruge's assistance.

"So," She said simply sizing up their task. "How are we going to go about this?" She asked. Zeruge merely shrugged his shoulders. "It shouldn't be that hard for me to put back on the pedestal. I imagine it only weighs a hundred and seventy pounds." He observed as though this was about as hefty as a paper cup. However when he firmly grasped the statue and tried to haul it up a sharp crack filled the air followed by a rough string of obscenities in the demon's naïve tongue as he held his claws to his back growling in pain. "Are you okay?" Raven asked rushing over to his side. Zeruge cracked an eye open and gave a sort of half grimace half smile. "I'll be fine Master Raven. I think I pulled something in my back that was still healing that's all. This might be a bit more work than I thought though." He admitted. "Here, let me help." She offered walking over and crouching down next to the statue. "Okay, now, on the count of three, we both lift at the same time okay? That way it won't put as much strain on your back and we can get this thing back on it's pedestal." Raven explained grabbing the statue with one hand underneath one of the demon's clawed feet and the other one underneath it's left wing. "Got it Master Raven." Zeruge replied taking up a similar position.

"Ready? Okay, one, two, THREE! Nnnnnghh!" The dark sorceress grunted as she put all of her strength into lifting up the statue. Now, Raven was hardly a lightweight taking the time to go work out in the training room on a regular basis. However her strength was the strength of an acrobat rather than a weightlifter like say Cyborg or Starfire, so naturally she was having a tough time keeping her end of the statue aloft sweat breaking out on her forehead as her face purpled in effort. Zeruge had an easier time with the heavy lifting but was still in a similar position due to his still sore back. The end result was the two demons sort of shuffling along in an awkward scuttle trying to keep the statue balanced only to have it tilt to the sides occasionally coming dangerously close to toppling over and crushing their feet beneath it's weight. "This way, no THIS way Zeruge! You have to slow down a little your pushing faster than I can pull. Okay now swing it over to the left, no thats to the right to the LEFT Zeruge!" She said exasperated gritting her teeth as she tried to keep her arms from being ripped out of their sockets by sheer force of will. "I heard you the first time Master Raven it wouldn't kill you to hold your horses for a moment. I'm not exactly enjoying this either you know." Zeruge snapped back equally in distress his strained back forcing him to do an odd hunched over pose as he carried his end of the statue that resembled something you'd expect from the assistant of a mad scientist. The conversation for the next few minutes pretty much continued on this way each person trying to carry the heavy statue in their own way and chastising the other for doing in what they thought was the improper way leading to a great deal of tension between the two demons.

Finally they managed to heave the statue up onto its pedestal with a heavy thud too exhausted to care if it was now standing in the opposite direction it had originally been in seeming to be more absorbed in their excruciatingly aching limbs. "Finally," Raven gasped wiping the sweat from her brow. "I thought we'd never get that damn thing back on that pedestal." She said heaving a sigh of relief turning and walking away. Zeruge made a movement to follow her when a sudden grinding noise caught his attention. As he watched seemingly in slow motion the statue began to wobble unbalanced by the displacement of weight due to it's different position from before and started to teeter over about to come crashing down on top of Raven. "MASTER RAVEN LOOK OUT!" The demon yelled dashing over as the dark sorceress turned and noticed the statue about to fall right on top of her. Raven's eyes widened in an expression that seemed to read 'aw crap not again' a mixture of distress and exasperation flashing across her face before she threw up her arms over her head in a vain attempt to avoid being flattened like a pancake. Crossing the space between them in less than a heartbeat Zeruge wrapped his arms and wings protectively around her pulling her close and bracing himself. Then, oddly enough, the statue wobbled back into place before coming to a complete stop.

Raven and Zeruge simultaneously heaved sighs of relief over not winding up flattened only to finally notice that they were currently in an intimate embrace that the word 'cozy' only began to describe. Ironically the position they were in mirrored that of the statue of the demon and the angel Zeruge's arms and wings wrapped around her protectively while she had her arms around his waist her face pressed up against his shoulder. They exchanged a weak nervous laughter trying to offset the gargantuan awkwardness of their situation neither one of them seeming to find a way to spur their bodies from breaking contact with each other. The moon shone down on the two demons in their embrace the shadows playing on the marble features of the gargoyle making it almost seem to grin in delight of this unexpected bit of evening entertainment. As they stood there, held in place by feelings and emotions too numerous to name Raven and Zeruge began to slowly, oh so slowly, inch their faces towards each other as though drawn by magnets. Their pulses began to quicken and their minds raced as their lips began inching closer and closer with each passing second the impending contact seeming all but inevitable. Raven supposed she should have been trying to wriggle out of the demon's grasp, to shove him off or chastise him for trying a stunt like that. But all she could focus on was those gorgeous yellow cat eyes twinkling in the moonlight like shining amber jewels. Zeruge, well, Zeruge wasn't really thinking per say as his mental functions at this moment were still trying to wrap themselves around the fact that he was currently entangled with the alluring dark sorceress yet still had all of his bodily functions working properly, but if he HAD been thinking it would had been undoubtedly consisting of just as poetic observations on how lovely Raven looked to be sure.

The dark sorceress's eyes slinked close a low velvety coo of contentment rising from her parted lips as she inched upwards on her tiptoes her entire world shrinking to the space between her lips and that of Zeruge's the rest of the world around her suddenly a great deal less important. Within Nevermore her emotions were in rare form somehow even more extreme than usual in the presence of such a momentous event. Happy was jumping up and down with pompoms waving like a cheerleader at a football game yelling words of encouragement, Timid was blushing like a beet with her hands over her eyes but peeking out between her fingers, Brave was putting her fingers to her lips and giving whistles and catcalls, Knowledge arched her eyebrows to the point that they merged with her hairline and puffed of her glasses and wiped them on the sleeve of her cloak so she could better examine this phenomenon, all the while Rude was yelling at the two demons to hurry up and kiss already so she could go to the bathroom. Surprisingly, even Rage was oddly calm which was nothing short of a miracle in itself considering how the embodiment of demonic rage and teenage angst normally behaved. Of course this was probably due to the fact that she had gotten a great deal more time to express herself since Zeruge had shown up and was for once content to avoid mucking up the works her four blazing red eyes were half slunk in fiendish delight as she thought up some new ways to terrorize the poor demon swordsman.

Zeruge on the other hand, was responding to his current situation in a way that was just as much biological as it was emotional. While his heart was pounding in his chest like a jackhammer his digestive tract was making ominous rumbling noises that were reminiscent of the sounds some poor tropical island native would hear a split second before the local volcano blew it's top and introduced said villager to an oncoming tidal wave of molten lava. It seemed that the conflicting desires of both escape and embrace were acting to stimulate the complex and dangerously volatile inner workings of the demon's gullet the gaseous and flammable contents of his stomach were beginning to stew like a witches cauldron. However, if the steam starting to waft from Zeruge's ears was any indication along with the alarmingly swift increase in his body temperature it was obvious that whatever was in the works it was going to pack far more of a wallop than any bubbling concoction consisting of eyes of newt and wings of bats. As the poor demon stood there trembling from head to foot desperately trying to restrain himself from going up in flames lest he miss this golden opportunity to finally have a genuine moment of romantic involvement with this lovely young lady the beads of sweat breaking out across Zeruge's skin turning to bullets as his temperature rose at an alarmingly swift rate. Raven however was unaware of the fact that the object of her sudden desires was in danger of bringing a whole new meaning to the term 'flaming passion' as her eyes were closed and her lips puckered up for what she thought was going to be a memory that she would remember for years to come, and in that sense she got her wish.

Finally realizing that in this case self preservation outweighed self gratification Zeruge swore in his native Japanese tongue at his rotten luck and made a beeline for a pair of bushes a safe distance away from Raven, who was at this moment leaning in for the big kiss and suddenly found herself toppling over and having an intimate moment with the ground (which while pleasantly surprised at it's sudden good fortune really didn't think that the dark sorceress was it's type and decided it was best for them to remain just friends. Which was probably for the best as it's unclear as to exactly HOW one would pursue a romantic involvement with a patch of grass and dirt) Spitting out leaves and pieces of grass a befuddled Raven opened her eyes and looked around the demon swordsman nowhere to be found. A sound emerged from her mouth that could be best described as a mixture of an irritated growl and a depressed whimper her sudden urge to find and kill poor Zeruge rivaled only by a tide of disappointment over being denied such a long awaited and greatly desired bit of human, er, make that human-ish, moment of social interaction. As the dark sorceress got to her feet with a look in her eyes bordering between anger and sadness it was unclear exactly what she would do to Zeruge when she found her but one thing was for certain, it was going to be very loud and most likely very messy.

The aforementioned demon swordsman was at the moment zipping around trying desperately to find a source of water to cool down his overheating internal workings as the sweat on his skin and armor was quickly turning into miniature streams matting down his hair and turning him into a walking sprinkler for the grass an flowers underfoot. A less than comforting smoldering reddish glow was beginning to emanate from deep in the back of Zeruge's throat as he stopped for a moment fanning himself with one of his wings panting like a dog in the middle of the Sahara Desert, which was about what the inside of his mouth felt to say nothing of the rest of his innards. "Must (gasp) find (pant) water!" He squeaked puffs of steam beginning to rise from his body. Alas, as he found out from a pair of small but surprisingly strong hands that wrapped around his throat from behind, all he had found was a very hurt and very infuriated dark sorceress. "And just what the hell was THAT all about huh?" Raven growled yanking the demon around and dragging him towards her so that they were at eye level leaving him in a sort of kneeling position. If Zeruge hadn't been sweating before he sure as hell was now looking like he was fast on his way to becoming a demonic tea kettle as his sweat filled armor began to grow increasingly hot.

"M-master Raven I-it's not what you-" He started to say before Raven cut him off clearly not listening to anything he was saying. "So what is it about me that you think justifies ditching me in the middle of a, of a," Raven's ire smoldered just a bit as she paused to try and think of a way to describe their previous entanglement without resorting to words like 'intimate' or 'romantic'. Zeruge, being the helpful if not clueless lug that he is, decided to help her out. "A moment of critical social interaction?" He offered meekly. "Thanks, as I was saying." She said before immediately beginning to throttle Zeruge shaking him hard enough that you could hear his pea sized brain rattling around in his skull like a metal ball in a pinball machine. "What makes you think you can ditch me in the middle of a moment of critical social interaction like that huh? HUH!? Am I not pretty enough, am I not showing off enough skin, do I have a flat chest TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO GET SOME GOD DAMN ATTENTION AROUND HERE!!!" She hollered at the top of her lungs too far beyond rational thought to notice the faint plumes of steam rising from the demon's ears and nostrils.

Zeruge, however, was all too aware of what was about to transpire and in an attempt to avoid turning this already dire situation into a total catastrophe tried once more to reason with Raven. "Please Master Raven your being-" He started to say again and was just as quickly cut off again by the infuriated sorceress. "Being too what Zeruge? Antisocial? Withdrawn? Creepy? I am so SICK of people taking one look at automatically assuming that I'm some Satan worshipping hellion who dances naked in the woods in the middle of the night and sacrifices a goat to bring about the coming of Molloch or Trigon or whatever the hell they think people like me try and summon in their spare time. Just because I'm half demon doesn't mean I don't need to be appreciated like everyone else! But does anyone care about what I think? Does anybody ever do anything nice for me just because there might be the off chance that I could use some cheering up and not just because they think I'm going to maim them? Nooooo! It's always 'why do you have to be so creepy Raven?' 'it's not healthy for you to be indoors so much Raven' 'you should go out and start dating Raven' well if you can find a guy who's nice, likes to help out around the house and isn't disturbed by the prospect of being around the daughter of a demon lord BY ALL MEANS LET ME KNOW!!" She shouted clearly having kept this bundle of resentment towards her treatment as a citizen and as a person for quite some time and was only now letting it all out choosing the hapless demon swordsman as a way to vent it all on completely unaware that he was about to do some 'venting' of his own if he didn't find a way to cool himself off.

It was this very drive to avoid being boiled alive in his own armor that prompted Zeruge to try one last time to reason with Raven. "Master Raven…I, n-need w-water!" He croaked and this time he did seem to finally get the infuriated sorceress's attention, unfortunately it was the wrong kind. "Water? WATER?! You ditched me in the middle of a park at night because you were THIRSTY?! Do you actually expect me to believe that crock of sh-" Raven paused in mid rant a gleam from behind the demon catching her eye. Behind the tree that Zeruge had been leaning on in the middle of a clearing was a small, stagnant and quite putrid pond having seemed to have been neglected for so many years it was consisted more of algae and mud than actual water. An evil glint entered Raven's eye that was somehow even more unnerving to the demon swordsman than when she had been shouting at the top of her lungs and throttling him. "You know what? Let's go take care of that parched throat of yours shall we?" She said in a tone of sweetness laced with venom dragging poor Zeruge along by his ears over to the pond. Hefting him up by the scruff of his neck she gave him a slightly manic grin that along with her scuffed up appearance and tattered clothes made her look like a woman possessed. "Here you go devil boy," She growled tightening her grip on his ears and then with the kind of upper body strength can only be summoned in moments of extreme duress, chucked the hapless demon into a sailing arc. "DRINK UP!" She roared watching with a look of satisfaction as Zeruge tumbled headfirst arms flailing into the surface of the pond.

All of a sudden there was a great roaring rush of air as a column of boiling steam erupted from the surface of the pond like a mushroom cloud accompanied by the most ungodly reek Raven had ever encountered in her entire life (which was saying something since she had the less than enjoyable task of cleaning Beast-Boy's laundry from time to time doing her shift of the chores around the Tower) rolling over her like a toxic cloud making tears spring to her eyes as she fell down gagging at the stench which smelt like somebody had run over a skunk, left it to bake in the hot sun for a week, and then coated it in vinegar. A few seconds later a steaming soaking wet mass of plankton, slime, and other fluids emerged from the pond screaming like a banshee and running around in circles. "YAAAH! HOT! HOT!! HOTHOTHOTHOT!!!" The slimy smelly thing hollered as it scrambled about like a chicken with it's head cut off. It wasn't until she noticed the familiar pointed ears and bulging yellow eyes that Raven realized that the thing in front of her was in fact Zeruge. "Oh crap! Uh, stop drop and roll Zeruge! Oh wait that only works with fire, uh, um, oh! Get off your armor quick! That ought to help cool you down!" She yelled deciding to hold off on asking what in blazes was going on until after making sure Zeruge wasn't going to wind up boiled like a head of lettuce.

Taking her advice the steaming demon began ripping off his armor and flinging it in all directions, however in doing this Raven discovered (much to her chagrin) that the armor was in fact the only thing he was actually wearing. "ACK! W-wait a minute! Not while I'm standing right in front of you dimwit!" She squawked wheeling around her face burning cherry red after seeing a bit more of Zeruge than she was really ready for. However a part of her couldn't help but notice how the rest of his skin that had been covered all these years by his armor was a great deal paler than his face which, in addition to his wrinkled skin resulting from being drenched in his own sweat, gave her the impression of a giant albino raisin. _"Still, pale skin aside he looks like he's in pretty good shape considering he's been locked in a tomb for a couple hundred years. I wonder what other surprises he's got hidden away under all that armor?" _Happy pondered with a giggle making Raven's beet red face seem to grow an even deeper shade of crimson. "Is there some higher force at work here? Is a single moment of peace asking too much out of life?" The exasperated sorceress groaned confused, embarrassed, and generally feeling miserable all around. Her question was answered by a familiar voice behind her accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves. "Ahem, not that your question isn't without merit Master Raven, but do you think you could hand me my armor? I'm a little, er, incapacitated at the moment." Zeruge piped up his yellow eyes peering out at Raven from within a nearby bush still emitting some faint wafts of steam. "Oh, um, sure." She said picking up the discarded bits of armor and tossing them over to the bush where the demon was hiding after pouring out the still steaming water and algae inside. Aside from the sloshing of water and the clank of armor the silence was deafening the two demons mortified far beyond words by their situation any romantic interest that had come up before was as dead as the flash fried leeches that Zeruge was plucking off his skin.

"So," Raven said at last in an attempt to break the awkward silence. "What was that all about?" She asked. "Well, you know how I have the power to summon and control fire right?" "It's a little hard to miss, your point being?" The dark sorceress replied a bit confused at his question. "Well," Zeruge said after a moment's pause. "Unlike your powers, which are fueled solely by emotion, the process that allows me to use my fire powers is a mixture of emotional and biological elements. It starts by me actually creating a base fire to work with by mixing a stew of flammable chemicals that are contained in different portions of my digestive tract with my natural stomach acids. The resulting concoction ignites creating a sudden burst of flame that I can then either spew from my mouth like when I destroyed that metal monster or can be channeled into other parts of my body using my powers of pyrokinesis." He explained.

"I think I get it now, so while your powers help you control the flames around you, it's your actual bodily functions that create the actual flames you work with to fuel your powers." Raven reasoned actually a bit impressed. In a sense Zeruge was a walking furnace constantly churning out controlled bursts of flame that he then controlled using his powers feeding the flames with is emotions allowing them to grow in size and intensity. "Exactly, it's a bit of a delicate balance, if I run out of fuel to create flames my powers are useless, but if I create too MUCH fire, which happens whenever I get nervous, which in turn sets off the chemicals in my stomach so that they work faster than normal-" "Than you can't control the flames and wind up spewing fire from both ends am I right?" Raven finished getting some minor satisfaction from having figured out a little more about how the demon swordsman worked. Zeruge looked a bit surprised that she had caught on so soon but nodded. "Basically yeah." "So, if you hadn't run off to find water I'd be…" Raven left the sentence hang not really thinking that it would help to go into detail (her imagination was doing a well enough job anyway as images of her leaning in to kiss Zeruge only to get burnt to a pile of neat little ashes flashed through her mind). "Well, luckily without my powers strengthening it I doubt that the blast would have been fatal, but I do think that it would have taken a while for you to grow back your hair and eyebrows." Zeruge remarked in what was obviously supposed to be a reassuring tone.

"Oh." Was about all that Raven could say greatly disturbed by the prospect of lacking hair (while some girls could have pulled off being bald and still be considered attractive Raven was pretty sure she wasn't one of them) as well as feeling guilty about giving the demon swordsman a hard time for what had to have been the sixth time today. "Well, I can't say my armor made it out of this completely intact, but all things considered it could have been worse." Zeruge said triumphantly as he emerged from the bushes fully armored again. It was true, there were small trickles of pond scum still dripping out of the joints in his armor and he stank something fierce but otherwise he looked like he was in relatively one piece. "Well at the very least I'm glad to see that you're not hurt." Raven said feeling a little better knowing that her latest temper tantrum hadn't been quite as traumatizing a her previous ones. Come to think of it aside from yelling him, strangling him and finally chucking him into a filthy pond the dark sorceress had been surprisingly lenient towards Zeruge. _Well, I did refrain from trying to skewer him with kitchen utensils _she thought to herself _I'd say that counts as progress_. The sound of Zeruge clearing his throat caught her attention. "So," The demon said giving Raven a small grin. "I'd say we've done our part for urban beautification for now, so let's head on back to the tower for some shut eye before we fall flat on our faces shall we?" He offered turning around and crouching down so Raven could climb on. "That depends," She said bemusedly. "Do you think you can avoid hitting anymore geese this time?" "I can certainly try Master Raven, I can certainly try." Zeruge said with a chuckle.

"I appreciate it, after all it would be nice if we could get back home sometime this year." Raven said once again climbing onto the demon's armored back having to breathe through her mouth due to the pungent odor of pond scum that stubbornly clung to Zeruge's armor. "Ugh, try to make it a fast trip will you devil boy? No offense but you smell to high heaven and I'd rather not pass out from the stench and fall off again." She remarked getting a firm grip on the demon's neck as he stood up and prepared himself for flight. "Yes, ma'am, in that case I suggest you hold on tight, next stop Titan's Tower!" Zeruge exclaimed leaping high into the air and unfurling his wings and soaring off once more into the night sky. "Um, Zeruge?" Raven piped up. "Yes Master Raven?" The demon replied looking over his shoulder at her. "I'm pretty sure the tower's that way." She said jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "You sure?" He replied a tad uncertain. Raven sighed and motioned to the distant stretch of water amidst the familiar T-shaped tower was visible. "Call it a hunch." She said with a half smile. With that a somewhat embarrassed Zeruge wheeled around in the direction of the tower. A little while later the two demons touched down on the roof of the tower the lack of lights indicating that the others had already gone to bed. "Home at last, it's about damn time." Raven said with a yawn as she headed to the door leading down to the rest of the tower followed by Zeruge. However noticing him following her she raised a hand to stop him. "Sorry devil boy, but if I let you into the tower smelling like that Cyborg would have my hide. Why don't you seep up here tonight, we can get you cleaned up in the morning." She advised.

Giving a small sigh Zeruge nodded still looking rather depressed that he wouldn't be able to go inside with Raven his ears drooping down solemnly. Seeing his sad expression the dark sorceress tried to think of a way to cheer Zeruge up when she got an idea. "Wait right here okay?" She told him disappearing into the tower leaving the confused demon swordsman alone on the roof. A few minutes later Raven reemerged carrying with her the pillows and blankets that Zeruge had slept on last night. "Here you go," She said after putting it all together. "Think of it as camping out under the stars." Raven suggested. Zeruge cheered up considerably at this and crawled into the mess of blankets without any further prompting. "Ah, this will do quite nicely. (Yawn) Good night Master Raven, I'll see you in the morning." The demon murmured rolling over and laying his head down on the pillow. "Good night Zeruge." Raven replied but the demon swordsman was already fast asleep. For a few minutes she just stood there watching Zeruge before kneeling down next to him and giving a soft sigh. "Ever since you came here, all you've done is try and be nice to me and keep me safe. You've saved my life twice in as many days, and all I do in return is yell at you and give you a hard time." She said gently scratching him behind the ears and listening to him purr in his sleep. "And yet, no matter what I say, no matter how much trouble we get into you're always at my side and doing everything you can to make me feel like I'm wanted. I promise I'll find a way to repay you for all that you've done for me Zeruge, it's the least I can do." She said giving the demon one last scratch behind the ears before heading back down to her room to get something that she hadn't had in what seemed like an eternity, a good night's sleep.

YES!! FINALLY this chapter is complete! I figured that I might as well make this chapter extra long as a further token of consolation for the ridiculous amount of time it took me to update this story. Hopefully you all enjoyed my newest chapter it's been WAY overdue. But now that I got over my funk I'm planning on being able to update more frequently and with less difficulty. Thanks again to everyone who has shown me such support and adoration it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. As always please read and review I'm always open to new ideas and feedback. Next chapter a certain Tamaranian princess decides to try and play Cupid as she works to get Raven and Zeruge together as a picture perfect couple. Unfortunately 'perfect' is hardly the term that fits the resulting chaos as the two demons have a day on the town that includes among other things dreary cafes, vicious street thugs, meat pies, and the most outrageous young lady to ever wear an apron and carry a shotgun. It's all in the next chapter of my first ever fanfic so stay tuned folks, because this story is just getting started! Ta-ta for now!


	9. Chapter 9

The Girl Who Loved a Monster

By Metal Overlord 2.0

I STILL LIVE! I bet you guys didn't expect me to update this lifetime did you? Not that I blame you I've had plenty of times when I've wondered myself when I'd ever get my next chapter up and running; I think my problem has been that I've had way too much free time on my hands to feel enough pressure to constantly work on my writing. (That, and I have a very, VERY short attention span.) In any case, I'm back to school and hopefully now that things are being compacted into some semblance of order that maybe, just maybe, I can stop staring vacantly into space long enough to continue writing this story which all of you wonderfully patient people out there seem to enjoy so very much. Thanks again for all your support here's hoping that this latest chapter will help assure everyone that no, I am not dead and yes, I am still writing this story; enjoy!

As night gave way to day in Jump City the morning sun slowly crept out from behind the horizon. It was enshrouded in a cloak of heavy cloudbanks that had drifted in the evening before, covering the city in a moist blanket of rain and fog. The dull and dreary atmosphere, while unwelcome to many of the city's local residents would have been appreciated by a particular group of beasts and fiends had they not at the moment been slumbering deep in the gullet of the city's sewer systems. Within the shadows of the abandoned train station that had become home to some of the city's newest and most dangerous immigrants the only thing that broke the illusion that time was standing still was a large antiquated clock. It was built into the wall, its glowing face veiled by decades of dust and neglect until only a few feeble beams of light illuminated the darkness. But, while the station was almost entirely devoid of light it was anything but silent.

Sitting in a corner in a lotus position was the mammoth beast known as Baal, his barreled chest rising and falling as he slept snoring with the intensity of a steam engine. His razor edged double headed battle axe rested on one of his shoulders, his claws never relaxing their grip on it lest the need arise for him to spur into action and ward off some treacherous foe. This was rather a rather unlikely scenario though as the constant arcs of electricity dancing across the spikes covering his armor cast his hulking form into menacing clarity: it was doubtful that anyone in their right mind would want to do anything other than run full tilt in the opposite direction (or better yet walk quietly at a swift pace) as intimidating as he was in the best of moods, he tended to throw a fit of almost biblical proportions when jostled from his slumber. Keroto meanwhile was found roosting in his favorite perch, hanging below the chandelier rustling his wings occasionally and murmuring to himself in his sleep as he tried to make himself more comfortable. Despite his earlier difficulties in the lavatory he had been undeterred in his pursuit of fine dining and even now clutched the partially nibbled on remains of some poor soul who happened to have been up and about in the time frame that corresponded to breakfast, lunch and/or dinner to Keroto. He held the ghastly snack close at hand lest he wake up suddenly with a bad case of the munchies.

It seemed in fact that the only sign of activity in this early hour was within the lower levels of the base where the deranged if not somewhat clueless fiend known as Joka puttered about in his labs. At the moment his attention seemed to be focused on examining a page of a cookbook he had scrounged up from a garbage bin on an earlier errand in the city. Pouring over its contents and periodically attacking several misshapen objects on a nearby medical table with a rusty hacksaw all the while humming the bars to 'A Little Priest' to himself. His partner on the other hand, the fiendish fowl Mr. Peckers, was tucked into a nest seated on a heated water pipe that served to insulate the interwoven mesh of fast food restraint napkins, packing peanuts, and shredded newspaper clippings that he called home. Amidst the nest was a collection of various shiny objects ranging from car keys to spare change and even a rather expensive looking ruby ring that apparently Mr. Peckers had decided not to bother removing from the finger of it's previous owner before making off with his prize, no doubt causing some poor person a great deal of difficulty to count to anything higher than nine without using his or her toes.

Ironically the one person who one would have expected to still be working at this time, the mysterious demon lord Orochimaru, had long since turned in for the evening somehow failing to find the enthusiasm to continue his work after unclogging the toilet and winding up drenched in raw sewage. After a thorough scrubbing in the bath the slightly less odorous demon lord had crawled into bed seeking a brief respite from the mayhem and mishap that had become daily routine. His chosen furnishings for his chambers were remarkably modest considering his position as leader of such a fearsome collection of fiends and demons and included among other things a violin case set lovingly upon a weathered velvet cushion on top of a dresser, a six inch thick wooden Go board sitting in the corner the two containers filled with black and white glass stones set on top and coated with a thin layer of dust, and the modestly sized four-poster bed that currently held the slumbering demon lord. Judging by the assortment of bottled sake laying haphazardly across the floor and well worn paperback copy of 'Relic' co-authored by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child folded over his face it had been a long night before the demon lord had managed to get any sleep.

His rest came to an abrupt, but not altogether unpleasant end when he suddenly sensed the presence of someone besides himself underneath the covers. A pair of long slender arms wrapped around him in a firm embrace a strange scent seeming to combine the smell of sea salt with some exotic perfume wafting past his nose. Lifting up the cover of his book Orochimaru creaked open one of his emerald eyes only to find himself looking into a pair of sparklingly clear icy blue eyes belonging to someone he knew all too well. "Well, Nomura. This is certainly a (yawn) surprise. I don't suppose it would hurt to ask if you happen to be wearing anything would it?" He asked dryly still pulling his jumbled thoughts together after his interrupted slumber. His unexpected bedfellow gave a gentle, almost musical peal of laughter as the figure, who was obviously of the feminine persuasion if the abundance of curves were any indication, took the book from off Orochimaru's face and set it on the table next to him the blue satin sleeves of her outfit tickling his nose as she did so answering his previous question. "Oh come now my lord, you know I wouldn't try something while you were sleeping," Nomura purred in a melodious voice that was akin to the call of a siren luring the unwary to certain doom. "Now, while your awake," She said walking two fingers up the demon lord's chest and tapping him on the nose. "That is another story." She said with a wink.

Now, while most men in Orochimaru's current situation would at this point be reverted to putty in Nomura's hands the demon lord was not so easily swayed by her vexing influence. As a matter of fact it was this very quality that made Nomura pursue him all the more finding a refreshing challenge into trying to seduce her lord. While so far she had yet to successfully entice him she never failed to tae advantage of any and all opportunities having the patience of a predator stalking its prey. "Yes, well, not that I don't appreciate your company Nomura but I happen to recall that acts of affection within rank are somewhat frowned upon in the exercise of military discipline." He paused glancing down before looking at Nomura with an eyebrow raised. "Which brings me to the observation that perhaps your hand should not be fondling that particular portion of your superior officer's anatomy?" He inquired. Nomura merely gave a playful pout clearly not that out off by the discovery of her current breach of protocol. "Oh alright, your no fun when your wake up you know that?"

"I've been described as many things by both friend and foe alike but the last time I checked 'fun' was not among them." Orochimaru replied sitting up and gesturing to the discarded bottled of sake with a strange hand motion. Almost immediately various serpentine shapes appeared seemingly materializing out of the darkness as they retrieved the bottles of sake carrying them with them back into the shadows from whence they came. "Okay, but you don't know what you're missing." She teased turning to leave and making sure to sashay her hips as she did so. Orochimaru watched her leave his gaze traveling over her shapely form for the briefest of seconds, once she left he allowed himself to drop his unflappable visage long enough heave a sigh of relief. "On the contrary Nomura, I have a very clear idea of what I'm missing, which is why it's all the more imperative that I have myself a long cold shower." He muttered to himself as he made his way to the bathroom.

Sometime later Orochimaru emerged from the entrance to his chambers dressed as usual in the long emerald cloak that hid his body from view leaving only his sandaled shoes and pale spidery hands exposed. The others were already awake and aside from Joka and Mr. Peckers were seated around a large oaken tabletop that seemed to be held together by little more than scotch tape and incompetent termites. Seeing Orochimaru make his entrance the three demons bowed their heads in respect which he himself returned as he sat down at one of the various chairs seated at the table (though in Baal's case his means of reclining was a thoroughly flattened gym mattress) . "I see that everyone's up and about, good. Now had we been operating at a pace that corresponded with the timeframe that I had ORIGINALLY made up for the proceedings of Project: Genesis we would have been able to move onto the next phase of our plans by now." Orochimaru lamented casting his poisonous emerald glare across the table in an expression that, while devoid of the kind of murderous irritation that tended to lead to the untimely retirement of the weakest link among one's minions, still carried with it an unspoken request that the next time the demon lord bothered to write up instructions for how their plans were going to unfold that it would be in the best interests of any and all employees to take the time to follow them.

One of the reasons that Orochimaru was respected as much as he was feared was that he never beat around the bush when it came to ordering around his minions, but wasn't blind to the needs that every employee has. He accepted the fact that occasionally no matter how well trained they were his minions were bound to make mistakes. That said he always made sure that the instructions he set for them were far from impossible to perform, and also carried with them the promise that if they were not carried out the consequences would far outweigh any discomfort said minions would have felt had they been assigned a more demanding assignment. As a result when the occasional foul up occurred, (along with the traditional skepticism towards whether or not the offending minion was going to rest in peace or in pieces) there was an underlying feeling of guilt that even though Orochimaru had gave them perfectly reasonable missions they still had found some inexplicable way to muck up the works. Which brought him to what had come to be one of the more prominent sources of entertainment among his minions: seeing who had dropped the ball this time and in what orifice was it going to be lodged in courtesy of the demon lord's foot.

"In particular I'd like to recount the incident regarding the spontaneous culinary overindulgence of someone, who shall remain nameless," The serpentine pair of eyes lingered on Keroto who suddenly found a great deal of fascination in the dust bunnies lingering around his spot at the table. "That regretfully led to an unfortunate compromise of our already limited lavatory facilities which in turn kept me from finishing the last of my work copying the data extracted from the memory banks of the war machine that my apprentice engaged in battle the evening before. An acquisition that, need I remind everyone, only fell into our possession by accident thanks to a rather spectacular exercise in poor judgment by two yet-to-be-named subordinates…" Again the serpentine orbs raked the faces sitting at the table like a scythe coming to a stop at the seat where Joka and Mr. Peckers should have been sitting only to find a distinct absence of said duo.

Orochimaru blinked just the slightest bit caught off guard (and truth be told a tad disappointed) at this but true to form shrugged it off settling back into his cold and calculating tirade like it was a well worn slipper. "…who happen to not be here at the moment but will, rest assured, be informed exactly what is to be expected from them when they are given orders. Though I don't suppose it would hurt to save such things until after we get some breakfast. I don't suppose anyone has any recommendations?" He inquired setting the intensity of his stare from 'kill' to 'stun' now that he had vented his irritation somewhat, though he'd be lying to himself if he thought he wouldn't have gotten a bit more enjoyment from some good old fashioned destruction of random inanimate objects and/or underlings with underdeveloped reflexes, but such things were somewhat unprofessional and if Orochimaru was one thing, he was a professional (though as to what EXACTLY he was a professional of remained unknown but it no doubt involved displaced internal organs and a substantial decrease in the population among his immediate surroundings).

Before anyone could offer any ideas a familiar squeaky voice cut through the air like a chainsaw ripping into an Arthritic femur bone. "Who wants _meeeeeeeaaaatt piiieeesss_?" Joka crooned shuffling into the chamber carrying a large dented bronze platter upon which sat an equally large and surprisingly tasty looking meat pie steam wafting from its thick crust the aroma of cooked meat filling the chamber. However as surprising as Joka's apparent competence in the field of fine cuisine it was the cooking ensemble that he wore over his trench coat that resulted in the cumulative thud of three jaws hitting the ground at once (Baal's actually sent the table and chairs several inches into the air before coming back down with a rather unsettling crunch of splintered wood) as well as Mr. Pecker's obvious attempts to avoid drawing attention to himself as he found himself perched as usual on Joka's shoulder with one wing over his eyes not quite managing to bring himself to look directly at the ungodly tacky assortment of clothes his accomplice was wearing. Indeed the formidable combination of the puke green 'Hello Kitty' apron, lobster claw oven mitts, and a stitched together chefs hat seemed to exert the kind of gravitational pull on one's eyeballs that amounts to a car wreck: it's ugly as all holy hell but you can't peel your gaze away from it out of sheer morbid curiosity. In this case however a car wreck might have been a bit easier on the eyes.

Oblivious to the expressions of horror and amazement (but mainly horror) Joka made his way to the table whistling industriously to himself as he set the meat pie on the table with a heavy thud the battered table creaking dangerously under their weight. Only Orochimaru managed to contain his surprise though his eyebrows seemed to be attempting to seek safe haven in his hairline from the garish outfit. "I see you've been busy Joka, may I ask what the occasion is that you would prepare such a feast for us?" Joka took a step back and rubbed the back of his head with one of the oven mitts. "Well, I felt kind of guilty for not paying attention and getting drunk on the job…again," He added catching a glare from Mr. Peckers who clearly was under the impression that a lot more should be required out of him than an apology and some brown-nosing to atone for a far from isolated case of intoxicated incompetence. "So I thought I'd take care of breakfast today and made you guys some good ol' fashioned meat pie." He said gleefully lightly bouncing up and down on the heels of his boots in the way that a kindergartener would while a teacher was examining their latest masterpiece of paste and popsicle sticks. "I see," Orochimaru said simply as Joka began passing out plastic plates and forks from a set of pockets on his apron. "Well I must admit that this is somewhat unusual of you Joka but the effort is certainly appreciated." He allowed taking a slice of pie courtesy of the large hunting knife Joka had conveniently lodged in the dead center of the pie (thankfully it was clean, or at least washed to the point that the more obvious stains on the blade had come out) and giving it an experimental sniff and seeming to relax somewhat now certain that it at the very least smelt like a pie should.

"Ah it was nothing boss, sure trying to find the right recipe was a pain in the ass but after that it was nothing a little sweat and elbow grease couldn't pull off." He declared puffing out his chest proudly and missing the exchange of uneasy looks between the others at the prospect of Joka's bodily fluids finding their way into their stomachs. Finally Baal, who never had a particularly picky diet to start with, simply gave a shrug and ate the entire piece of pie, plate and silverware included, and crunched away in thoughtful contemplation in a manner that would have provoked envy from even the most efficient of cows. Finally after a belch that rattled the base he smacked his lips and gave a satisfied grunt apparently not in immediate danger of food poisoning. Seeing this as a sign that the pie was in fact edible the others followed suit, albeit to a more restrained degree, and proceeded to dig in the air suddenly filled with the scraping of utensils and gnashing of teeth/and fangs. It was only after a few minutes into the meal when Orochimaru took a further bite of his piece of the pie only to be greeted with a subtle but unmistakable crunching sound that, to the best of his knowledge, wasn't supposed to be among the sounds one would hear during the consumption of properly prepared pie. (Even a meat pie.) Delicately picking something out of his teeth he examined the object in the dim torchlight his eyes narrowing to mere slits. "Joka," He said at last. "I understand the importance of not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but just out of simple curiosity exactly what KIND of meat did you use in this pie?" He asked an underlying edge to his voice that made the others pause in the middle of their meal.

There was a series of rusty squeaks like the opening and closing of lantern shutters as Joka blinked his luminous crimson eyes disappearing and reappearing in rapid succession like someone was trying to communicate in Morse code using the headlights of a car. "Uh, just, you know, a little of this and a little of that." He mumbled suddenly a great deal less enthusiastic as he had been when he had first presented his prized pie. Orochimaru merely nodded. "I see, well then," He took the object he had been examining in his fingers and held it up so that the torchlight better illuminated it revealing it to what appeared to be the remnants of someone's big toe its flesh riddled in bite marks from when Orochimaru had bit into it. "I don't suppose you could offer an explanation as to how this got into the pie perhaps?" He inquired softly his expression unreadable. Joka suddenly seemed to have developed a speech impediment in the face of the discovery of such an unorthodox ingredient. "Er, ah, that is to say, there wasn't a whole lot of extra meat lying around a-and I thought that if I went out again you'd, well you know, get angry again so I took s-some of the leftovers from my experiments and, w-w-well, you know what they say, you are what you eat." He added lamely with a nervous chuckle suddenly wishing very much that he was anywhere on this planet but in the immediate vicinity of his employer. Mr. Peckers on the other hand had long since abandoned his soon to be ex-partner and was nibbling away at Orochimaru's abandoned piece of pie his beady little eyes gleaming with daemonic mirth at Joka's plight, finding it so very refreshing to be the spectator rather than the spectacle for a change.

It was a long time before Orochimaru spoke again the soft tone in his voice like the calm before a hurricane. "In that case I do have one last question for you Joka." He rasped folding his hands in front of him with fingers clenched tight like pale spiders preparing to pounce. "Y-y-yes b-b-boss?" Joka squeaked wondering to himself exactly how many pieces he was going to be in by the time Orochimaru was through with him. Slowly and deliberately the demon lord reached for the hunting knife still lodged in the pie and pulled it out in a single fluid movement, pausing a moment to examine the blade's sharpness in the flickering torchlight, pleased at its razor edge. He closed his fingers around the handle in a firm grip, took careful aim, hefted it into the air and…cut himself another piece of pie. "We wouldn't happen to have any Worchester sauce lying about would we? The meat's a bit dry." He said simply, any trace of ill intent that had been in his expression vanishing into thin air replaced only by a cool restraint. Joka, who had crossed his arms over his face and had been cringing, had expected to be violently removed from this mortal coil. He opened one eye with a rusty creak just as puzzled as the others as to why he was still among the living. "Uh, I'm not sure, but I'll go and check the fridge to see if we have any, if not I'll make sure to pick some up the next time we're up and about." He said uncertainly. "Thank you Joka that would be appreciated." Orochimaru replied with a curt nod signaling that Joka was excused; needing no other hint Joka turned tail and scrambled back into the darkness in his quest to locate the object of his master's desires followed by a rather disappointed Mr. Peckers.

Noticing the less than subtle gawking Orochimaru paused in mid bite before casting his gaze around the table. "I know, I know you were expecting me to reprimand him for using human meat in the pie, but if you stop to think about it he had a relatively good reason for doing so. As he said I was more than a little irritated at him last night for almost bungling his assignment so he made do with what he had lying about. Anyways at the very least he made an honest attempt to make amends for his blunder, even if the means to achieve it lacked a bit in terms of good taste. Besides," He picked up the partially eaten toe he had discovered in his pie a minute ago and tossed it up and down in his hand before popping it into his mouth with a splintery crunch his eyes closed savoring it. "I have yet to meet a man, devil, or angel who can make a better meat pie than Joka." He added with a dry chuckle licking his lips with a forked tongue. "Regardless my lord we still require more equipment and samples before we can begin the next phase of our plans. If we tried to retrieve the needed supplies now we'd only expose our presence to your apprentice and this city's defenders." Keroto added sourly poking at his piece of pie with a fork. "I'm well aware of the situation Keroto, fortunately I have a plan in mind that will provide us with the opportune distraction to gather the necessary materials. But in order for it to work we'll need to shake things up a bit with my apprentice and his new allies." "It sounds like you already have something in mind. Care to fill us in?" Nomura inquired curious. Orochimaru gave a smile that was somehow less than friendly as he plucked the hunting knife from off his plate and twirled it between his fingers. "Oh, nothing particularly spectacular, just a tried and true display of extreme violence tempered by a healthy dose of psychological warfare, and as it turns out I already know the two perfect candidates for the job. Tonight ladies and gentleman," He plunged the knife into the middle of his pie with a squelching sound juices from the meat oozing from its punctured surface. "The dead will walk."

Elsewhere in Jump City the targets of the unfolding plot had just woken up and were preparing for another day of fighting for truth, justice, and the last slice of pizza, that is, except for a certain dark sorceress. In the somber depths of Raven's room a shapeless lump of covers and sheets lay entangled on top of her bed oblivious to the approaching peril, or anything else for that matter. The silence was short lived as on a table next to her bed an electronic alarm clock went off its shrieking din shattering the quiet and tranquility of the room. The lump shifted a series of unintelligible groans emanating from it before a small hole appeared through which a pale hand adorned in a midnight blue nightshirt slithered out. The hand fumbled around the table like a blind spider before locating the source of the shrill noise that had intruded upon its slumber and then proceeded to bash it to pieces repeatedly with a telekinetically charged fist before retreating back into the lump a satisfied grunt coming from the shapeless mass. Unfortunately for the lump the arrival of the new day was not so easily driven off and soon enough the intrusions of the outside world came upon it again this time in the form of a far more potent messenger that no amount of physical force could drive off. "Ascend and illuminate friend Raven! It is time to greet the new day and all of its bountiful wonders!" Starfire proclaimed while proceeding to knock repeatedly on Raven's door leaving a series of dents in its surface from her overabundant enthusiasm.

This caused the lump to shudder a pair of weary midnight blue eyes peeking out from within the mess of sheets giving a halfhearted glare at the door. "Unnh, Starfire, I know this is going to come as a shock to you but for some weird reason I'm not feeling particularly motivated to get out of bed today." The lump replied sourly. "And why would that be friend Raven?" Starfire asked tilting her head to one side puzzled as to why her friend would not rejoice at the prospect of joining her and the others in the consumption of corn by products saturated in bovine excrements. "Oh I don't know Starfire, I vaguely seem to recall something about being beaten to a pulp by a giant robot last night, not that it necessarily means anything mind you but it might have something to do with why I'm not that excited about getting up." The lump answered bluntly its tone heavy with sarcasm but not quite as venomous as it should have been given its sudden interruption from its slumber. "I, I suppose that would be of some discomfort, the robot of sharp blades and many legs was a most troublesome adversary." Starfire admitted sheepishly rubbing her arm. "Just a little bit yeah, so I would really appreciate it if you just see what the others are doing for now and let me get some shut eye okay Starfire? Nothing personal but I won't be held responsible for my actions if I don't get my beauty rest." The lump said with a yawn before rolling on its side.

"Very well friend Raven, by the way have you seen friend Zeruge by any chance? I was hoping to make some Florkaspletchian Chowder for him today as thanks for his assistance last night." She inquired. "Zeruge? Oh he's (yawn) sleeping on the roof, I'll bring him down when I wake up." The lump said sleepily. "Friend Zeruge is…on the roof?" Starfire asked looking surprised and a tad uneasy. ""The roof, you know the big flat space on top of the tower?" The lump grumbled irritably wishing greatly that Starfire would kindly leave and leave it in peace. The Tamaranian princess bit her lip as though unsure of how to say what she had on her mind. "Umm, I do not wish to alarm you friend Raven, but by any chance have you checked the weather outside?" The lump groaned the pair of midnight blue eyes peeking out again and glancing out her window. Outside a heavy bank of clouds blotted out the sun sheets of rain slapping against the glass like thousands of tiny bullets. "Uh-huh, its raining, thanks for the update Starfire." The lump said before settling down again. There was a dead silence for a few seconds as that little bit of information was fully processed by the lump's thought process but when it was it caused a very noticeable reaction. "WHAT?!" The lump squawked heaving up and throwing aside the covers revealing a very surprised and very concerned young sorceress. She was halfway into her bathrobe when she paused. "Oh get a hold of yourself Raven, Zeruge would have come inside if he needed to. He couldn't possibly be THAT stupid…could he?" She asked aloud.

There was a moment of dead silence before Raven remembered exactly who she was talking about and resumed slipping on her robe and slippers with renewed urgency. Starfire gave a startled yelp as the door was suddenly yanked open revealing Raven in all her weary, disheveled glory her hair still sticking up in a few odd places from last night. "Friend Raven! I am overjoyed to see that you are-" She started to say before the dark sorceress took off running down the hallway and up the stairs with lightning speed leaving a very confused young alien floating in the hallway by herself. "Perhaps it was something I said?" She wondered aloud. Meanwhile Raven was sprinting up the stairs to the roof two at a time her thoughts stuck somewhere between irritation and anxiety. "You'd think that he'd find himself some shelter when the storm hit but nooo, that would imply that there's actually any thought process going on in that thick skull of his (sigh) if he doesn't die from pneumonia I'm going to kill him myself!" She growled before screeching to a stop a noise coming from the roof catching her attention. It was a frantic scrabbling noise that seemed to be accompanied by the sound of something raking across solid steel. Finally reaching the top of the stairs she gripped the handle in her hands and gave a sharp suddenly bombarded by sheets of rain as they slapped against her exposed skin like dull needles of ice.

There, standing in the doorway and shivering from head to toe with rain water dripping off his wings as they curled over his head like an umbrella, was a very wet and very cold looking Zeruge who judging by the scores of inch deep claw marks on the other side of the door had been clawing at the door to be let in all this time and had been forced to stand in the pouring rain with the soaked sleeping bag and sheets wrapped around himself for warmth. He looked absolutely miserable with his pointed ears sagging down the sides of his head heavy with rainwater while his hair was plastered against his forehead his armor rattling like a set of fine china in an earthquake as he shivered from the cold, but on the plus side the torrent of rain seemed to have taken care of his ungainly odor of pond scum from last night. Seeing him in such a pitiful state almost made Raven feel sorry for Zeruge…right up until he sneezed in her face. However instead of the usual burst of searing flames Raven wound up plastered with soot and mucous hitting her with the force of a small hurricane leaving her looking like she had just had a bucket of tar thrown on her. "(Sniff) Sorry about that Master Raven, I've been trying to get someone to let me in since this morning and I'm afraid I'm not feeling too well." He said rubbing a talon under his nose and giving what was meant to be a smile but came out as a sort of half grimace.

It was a while before Raven spoke simply reaching up and wiping the soot and mucous off her face looking like she was having a monumental inner struggle over whether or not to kill Zeruge. Finally she heaved a massive sigh and pulled him inside closing the door behind her with her powers. "Whatever, lets just get you dried off." She grumbled yanking him along by the hand like a parent dragging their infant. "Oh, I almost forgot, good morning Master Raven." He said giving a small smile in an attempt to make up for suddenly plastering her with the contents of his nostrils. Raven slowly turned to look at Zeruge with a glare that would have killed lesser folk and damn near came close to doing the demon swordsman too for that matter. "I've had better." She said hotly making him cringe under her gaze. Seeing this she felt obligated to say something to comfort him but was still wrestling with the fact that Zeruge had just turned her robe and nightgown into multipurpose handkerchief. Finally she sighed and came to a brief stop resulting in Zeruge backing right into her nearly knocking her over as she turned to glance at him. "Just so you know I'm still a bit annoyed that you for sneezing all over me like that but …" She trailed off a bit looking at her slippers somewhat abashed at what she was trying to say. "You probably wouldn't have been out there if not for me so I, I just want to say that I'm sorry." She said meekly unable to meet the demon's gaze. Zeruge patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. "Its alright Master Raven, I wouldn't have let me set foot inside either smelling the way I was last night, which on the plus side the rain seems to have gotten rid of." He said cheerfully. "Uh Zeruge?" "Yes Master Raven?" The demon swordsman inquired tilting his head to one side. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture but could you remove the arm? You're getting my nightgown soaked." She said flatly. "Oops,"

WHOO! At long last I updated (blows a noisemaker). This was the first chapter that I posted without having my mom co-edit it so I'd greatly appreciate any comments you guys would like to make on how to improve my writing. Remember, nobody's opinion is without merit and I try to take everyone's suggestions seriously. Also for those who were wondering the reason this chapter mainly revolved around Orochimaru and his minions was that I came up with the meat pie scene while chatting with some friends and wanted to have a good atmosphere for it, plus it allowed me to give an introduction for Nomura which was fun too. I promise though that there will be plenty more interaction between Zeruge and Raven next chapter once she and the other Titans get him back up to snuff that is LOL Love (and soot) is in the air and as poor Raven is about to discover true love takes no prisoners. As always read and review and thanks again for being such a fantastic audience, ta-ta for now!


	10. Chapter 10

The Girl Who Loved a Monster  
By Metal Overlord 2.0

Okay, brief show of hands, who among what's left of my audience thought I was never updating again? Raises hand as well LOL But seriously I can't apologize enough for how long its taken me to update, if it was just writer's block I might be a bit more lenient on myself but its mainly been a combination of extreme procrastination and lack of motivation. Ironically I've spent most of my time reading everyone ELSE'S fanfics rather than work on my own. However a miraculous event has happened which has finally reignited the creative fire within my soul, I'm in love. Yes you heard that right I've gone the way of my OC Zeruge and fallen head over heels for a lovely young lady from Missouri named Jenny Gray. As it turns out she is perhaps my biggest fan of all for this story so through the aid of my newly acquired muse I have taken up my pen once more and am back to doing what I love best, writing. I dedicate this chapter and many more to come to Jenny and hope she, and you, will rekindle your love for this story as I have. Enjoy!

"Ah-ah-AH-CHOOO!" The entire tower seemed to shake as Zeruge sneezed for what seemed like the umpteenth time since Raven had first dragged his water logged carcass out from the rain early that morning. "Bless you." Raven said in her classic deadpan tone as she and the other Titans poked their heads out from behind the couch still having vivid recollections of the last time Zeruge had sneezed. Said demon was currently plopped down on the sofa with an embroidered floral patterned ice pack on his head making a series of soft but insistent clicking noises with his fangs as he shifted the thermometer in his mouth from one side of his mouth to the other. At the moment he was wiping his nose with a claw full of tissues blowing into them with a sound reminiscent of a fog horn and adding them to the steadily growing pile overflowing the nearby wastebasket; all things considered he'd certainly seen better days.

"Do you think that friend Zeruge will be alright? He is making quite a large number of alarming noises and expulsions of mucous." Starfire quipped concerned for her new friend but at the same time making sure that she was safely out of the range of his constant projection of soot and mucus. "I'm just hoping that whatever he's got isn't contagious, I still get a rash thinking about the last time I was sick with the chicken pox." Beast-Boy said turning into a clucking hen for emphasis. "I didn't even know demons could GET sick." Robin admitted not having all that much experience with demon biology outside of Raven and her father Trigon, neither of which seemed like the kind of folk you'd expect to call in sick on account of the flu. "Demons may operate differently from humans but that doesn't mean their immune to disease and other normal ailments. I remember one time when I was still little that Trigon came down with a bad antler infection, his minions had to surgically remove it so that he could get a prosthetic one, and their ideas of quality medical treatment were the blades and torture instruments that had the least amount of blood stains on them." Raven explained cracking a small smirk recalling the incredibly foul mood her father had been for the next few decades trying to get both horns to grow at the same pace so he didn't look like something out of a doctor Seuss book.

"Just out of curiosity was the fake antler the one Slade hacked off with that halberd when Trigon came into our world?" Robin asked giving a slight cringe at saying the name of one of their most infamous enemies but had fortunately gotten over his former obsession with hunting down and destroying said nemesis (at least to the point that Starfire could actually find him doing something OTHER than staring at broken equipment from his droids and old newspaper clippings when puttering about his room). Raven nodded. "Right, even if they're just made out of bone their still a part of Trigon's skull and believe me, his head's as thick as they come, with a few exceptions." She added glancing over at Zeruge as he sneezed again. "I just don't get what's up with him," Cyborg said walking over and taking the thermometer from Zeruge's mouth for what had to have been the umpteenth time a dumbfounded scowl never leaving his face. "I mean, his body temperature is going DOWN but he's acting like he's got a fever, if he gets any colder we could stuff him in the freezer and use him to keep ice cream and vegetables cold." He said shaking his head. "Perhaps friend Zeruge would feel better if I prepared some Glerkasplootch Stew, when I was young and had the times of runny noses and sore throats Galfore would always prepare a large pot for me. Perhaps I have a recipe in one of my Tamaranian cookbooks." Starfire suggested flying off to her room. Raven just rolled her eyes before hearing the kettle of water on the stove whistle going over to make a fresh cup of tea.

As she poured the water in and added the spices and herbs from her private stash she paused, the warm aroma from the tea seeming to be spurring some nagging little thought at the back of her head to start jumping up and down waving its arms to get her attention. She glanced from the cup of tea to Zeruge, who despite having a perfectly normal temperature (actually a bit lower than normal and lowering at a steady rate) he looked absolutely miserable. It couldn't be THAT simple, could it? Raven wondered before Zeruge gave another colossal sneeze the gale force wind making her cloak flap. Taking the kettle full of tea and the cup with her Raven sat down next to Zeruge handing him the cup. "Here, drink this," She offered. Cyborg, Beast-Boy and Robin exchanged surprised looks, Raven wasn't exactly known for her overflowing generosity, ESPECIALLY when it came to her tea. Zeruge took the tea in one talon sipping at it for a minute before setting the now empty mug on the coffee table in front of him with a content sigh. "Thank you Master Raven (sniff) I feel a little better actually." He said giving her a grateful smile. Raven allowed herself a half-smile for a moment before a beep from the thermometer drew everyone's attention. Plucking the thermometer from the demon swordsman's mouth Cyborg studied the digital display for a moment before blinking in surprise. "What the…his temperature just went up, a LOT." The teen said double checking the thermometer to see if it wasn't broken.

"Wait, if his temperature is going UP then why is he not shivering as much?" Robin wondered. It was true, though Zeruge still looked a bit under the weather his constant shivering and sniffling seemed to have abated a bit. "Only one way to find out," Raven said, suddenly she scooped up the tea kettle using her powers and grabbing Zeruge by the nose tilting back his head like a garbage can and pouring the scalding hot tea down his throat. Before any of the others could do anything to point out this grievous violation of guest/host protocol Zeruge seemed to stop shivering all together giving a deeply content sigh and expelling steam from his nostrils. "Ahh, I needed that like you wouldn't believe." he purred tossing the ice pack and blankets aside and hopping to his feet stretching out his arms and wings. "Um, not to sound clueless or anything, but what the heck just happened?" Beast-Boy said still trying to piece together the source of Zeruge's miraculous recovery. Raven rolled her eyes and pushed the demon swordsman toward the others. "Here, YOU can explain it to them while I boil up another pot and we'll call it even." She said simply taking the now empty kettle and filling it up with water again. "Okay, well you see the reason I was in the sorry state you saw me in a few minutes ago was because the source of my powers, a process that revolves around my stomach's ability to produce flames by mixing together several flammable chemicals in my digestive enzymes, is tied in directly with my bodily temperature. Provided I have fuel in my stomach to burn I can maintain a healthy body temperature even during colder weather but without food or drink my temperature begins to plummet leading to vulnerability to getting sick as well as a failure to use my powers effectively." Zeruge explained.

While it was clear they hadn't gotten the full gist of what the demon had just said there was at least a general nod of understanding from Robin, Beast-Boy and Cyborg. "Well that shouldn't be too much of a problem then. Jump City tends to get pretty warm weather a lot of the time." Robin said filing away this latest discovery about their unorthodox guest for future reference, every little bit of info helped the young crime fighter get a better idea of whether or not Zeruge presented a threat to the team. So far he seemed to be mostly harmless (if a little wearing on all non fireproof materials in the tower) but the safety of those he worked with and protected was a position Robin had NEVER taken lightly nor had any plan to do so any time soon. Starfire suddenly reappeared bowling over Cyborg and Beast-Boy carrying an armload of cookbooks the titles all written in an obscure alien language (most likely her own) and dropping them on the counter top next to the stove where Raven was still making tea with a heavy thud. "Have no despair friend Zeruge! Somewhere in these twelve thousand Tamaranian recipe books I am certain we can find a dish to restore your waning health!" The alien princess exclaimed a determined expression on her face seeming to promise that she was going to do whatever she could to nurse her new friend back to health even if it killed him in the process.

"That uh, that won't be necessary Starfire, it turns out all Zeruge needed was a pot of tea." Robin said quickly not sure they were ready for another round of her infamous cooking just yet. She paused in the process of bringing down an over sized tenderizing mallet on something that resembled a cross between a yellow warthog and a diseased chicken along with a great deal more eyes than anything really had a reason to have. "Well if you are certain that you are feeling better friend Zeruge," She said lowering the mallet and stuffing the odd looking creature into a cabinet (which the others noted queasily seemed to be still alive as it made a noise like a whoopee cushion). "I am sure miss Starfire, though I wouldn't mind a few more of your recipes, all that tea made me hungry." Zeruge said rubbing his stomach hopefully. Starfire smiled and opened her mouth to recommend another recipe when Cyborg and Beast-Boy both grabbed the demon and dragged him to the kitchen table plopping him down at a seat. "Oh no, this time we're going to show you a REAL man eats around here! You haven't lived until you've tried my famous triple cheese omelet with golden hash browns on the side!" Cyborg exclaimed proudly before he was butted to the side by Beast-Boy in the form of a ram. "Oh no you don't tin man you're not bringing THIS one to the side of meat by products! Nothing starts a day better than a heaping helping of tofu and French toast." The green skinned changeling said before a metal hand wrapped around his neck in a vice like grip courtesy of a slightly dented and very unhappy Cyborg the two quickly engaging in yet another kitchen brawl cooking utensils and insults flying through the air.

Raven rolled her eyes at the squabbling teammates before turning and heading up to the roof for some meditation. Just before she left she grabbed a box of cereal from a cabinet and tossed it to Zeruge. "Here, if I know those two, and believe me I do, it might be a while before it becomes safe to enter the kitchen. I'm going to be up on the roof for a bit, ALONE." She added when the demon made a motion to get up and follow her. "Oh alright Master Raven, I suppose I can stay here for a bit and dry off." He said looking a little dejected at the thought of not being at her side. Raven looked around for a moment to see if anybody was watching before scratching Zeruge behind the ears making him purr a little his head leaning toward her hand. "Relax, I won't be gone for too long, I just need some time to clear my head and Azar knows its not here." She said giving him one last friendly pat on the head before heading up the stairs while Zeruge turned his attention to the cereal box making several unsuccessful attempts to open it before shrugging and biting through the cardboard box and plastic bag eating it along with the actual cereal.

Raven made her way back up to the roof the rain still coming down in droves but this time she made a shield of her aura around her in a dome keeping her dry as she made her way to the edge and assumed the classic lotus position in mid air and resumed her mantra. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zint-(sigh), is asking for a moment alone really that much to ask?" Raven said not even having to turn her head to know she was no longer alone on the roof. Instead of Robin however, whom she had expected to have come up to give her a long overdue lecture on bringing strange men into their home (especially those with fangs and claws that breathed fire) her visitor turned out to be Starfire who joined her on the edge of the tower overlooking the bay with a pink umbrella in her hands. "Forgive me for interrupting friend Raven, I was merely hoping I could join you in the moment of quiet and peace. Friends Beast-Boy and Cyborg are still in the kitchen engaging in hand to hand combat to see whose choice of the stuffs of food is superior for friend Zeruge and friend Robin is in the combat room practicing the kicking of the butt." She explained. Raven was silent for a moment before floating to the side to make room for Starfire who assumed an identical position to Raven's before closing her eyes and repeating the sorceress's own mantra.

After a few minutes of this Starfire peeked open her eyes and glanced at Raven who was still meditating. Finally she sighed not even bothering to open her eyes to know that Starfire wasn't just up here to hang out. "Total stab in the dark, but is there any OTHER reason you chose to join me up here?" The Tamaranian princess nodded. "That I do, over the past few days I have noticed you have been displaying an unusual amount of interest our new friend Zeruge. This struck me as somewhat odd considering the last time we had a guest was the incident with Terra." Her face fell for a moment in recollection before brightening up again. "However this time you do not seem to be having any problem being hospitable, would you mind if I inquired as to why?" She asked in that open naïve tone that had been the precursor to many an unsettling conversation with the alien about the way things worked on planet Earth. "And the reason you want to know this is….what?" Raven replied. "It is merely that I am not used to seeing you demonstrate this level of tolerance toward newcomers to the tower and cannot help but wonder if there is not some…more personal reason for doing so." Starfire said her usual happy-go lucky smile changing and becoming more impish than one would normally expect of the naïve young alien. Raven gave Starfire a full force glare at this but it only seemed to slide off her like water off a duck's back.

"If your thinking that I'm taking care of Zeruge because I like him, DON'T. I'm keeping an eye on him because its either that or let that two hundred pound pointy eared garbage disposal run wild in the city, and frankly I don't have the energy or the patience to keep Robin from trying to neuter him with a bird-a-rang should he happen eat, burn or lick something he's not supposed to in good company got it?" Raven explained acidly before attempting to go back to her meditation now giving off a few sparks. Starfire pondered this for a few minutes before replying with deadpan naivety "So I suppose it would not trouble you in the slightest to take friend Zeruge for a day to show him around the city?" There was a sound that brought to mind an electric motor blowing a fuse followed by a splash of water and a yelp as Raven's powers went haywire for a moment leaving her sitting in a puddle now with a thoroughly soaked rear end. "Care to run me by that again?" She said wringing her cloak dry and trying to rebuild her energy shield having to try a few times before her emotions were restrained enough to let her conjure anything more than a few sparks.

Starfire sighed as though she was trying to explain something to a child. "Friend Raven, do you recall how before your father Trigon forced his way into this world last year you had to restrain yourself from showing any emotion at all for fear of hurting those around you?" "Would YOU forget shutting yourself away from the outside world for weeks on end?" Raven replied bluntly. "No, which brings me to my next question. Now that you CAN express your emotions, could you, strictly in theory, be able to leave your room for more than once a day and socialize more often?" "I...suppose so." Raven allowed the notion of leaving her room for more than a few hours at a time an entirely new and foreign concept to her. "Well then, in that case I have just one last question…..HOW CAN YOU BE SO OBLIVIOUS TO THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S BEEN DROPPED INTO YOUR LAP?!" Starfire bellowed making Raven's hair, hood and cloak flap from the force of her outburst. "I apologize for the lack of subtlety in expressing my feelings friend Raven. But I could not keep quiet any longer about my concerns about your behavior lately. Before we defeated your father you did indeed need to keep a certain degree of control over your emotions and to do so you tried to be as removed from the outside world and other people as possible. But even now that you can express yourself more freely and begin to enjoy all that you have missed during your years of fear of hurting other through your inability to control your powers you STILL keep yourself locked away in your room trying to substitute from your books what must be experienced yourself to be truly appreciated. What was once necessity is now merely habit. You must break free from your comfort zone and explore the world around you or else all that we fought for to free you from Trigon's control will have been for nothing." Starfire said finally pausing to inhale a deep lungful of air after such a lengthy bit of counseling.

Raven was silent for a moment mulling this over and knowing that there was a great deal of truth in her friend's words but not quite willing to admit it. "Pardon me to for breaking the mood of the moment, but weren't we also fighting Trigon to save the planet and all of existence in general?" She asked dryly. "Um, well, yes there was that." Starfire said rubbing the back of her head in a way that suddenly reminded the dark sorceress of Zeruge. "But my point was that you'll never truly be free of your father's control if you are not willing to stray outside your comfort zone and take a chance. I do not entirely believe your meeting with friend Zeruge was an accident. Perhaps this is your chance to allow your barriers to lower and to allow someone into your life again. We all deserve a second chance friend Raven, even you." "Starfire I…" Raven paused taking a deep long breath of air letting it out slowly trying to find the right words. "I know what your getting at and I appreciate the thought but its just, I don't think I'm ready yet. If all that it would have taken for me to open up to people were to get control of my emotions then I would have started dating after I defeated Trigon. But there's more to it than just his influence. Isolating myself from the outside world has become so ingrained into who I am that its hard to just cast it all aside, especially after what happened with Malchior," She faltered a bit her eyes shimmering a bit with pain at the memory. "I'll admit that Zeruge is…not the worst person I've ever met, but I don't think I'm ready to take that big a step with someone again. Not when I've already been hurt once before for letting someone get that close." Her shield started flickering in a few places as she felt conflicting waves of embarrassment and frustration at herself.

"I see," Starfire said simply and for a few minutes there was only the sound of the pattering rain to fill the awkward silence. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to take less….reasonable measures," She said rummaging through a pocket and taking out a photograph using her right hand to shield it from the rain. "Do you recognize this by any chance?". Raven glanced at the photo and was about to comment that she wasn't in the mood for one of the alien princess's souvenir photo's of her Earth misadventures when she did a swift double take her eyes bulging with shock and terror. There, in brutal, horrific clarity, was a shot of Raven dressed in the unspeakably garish sunflower yellow frilly dress that the unspeakably vile cosmic horror known only as Mother Mae-Eye, had brainwashed her into wearing courtesy of her mind controlling pies. Next to the incident inside Mumbo-Jumbo's hat where she was turned into a bunny rabbit it was perhaps the most mortifying experience of her life, one that she had made the others swear to never speak of again even under torture. "Wh-wh-wh-WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" Raven shrieked making a frantic grab for the offending piece of evidence, only to find a purple boot applied to her face as gently as it could her hands uselessly clawing at the air inches from Starfire's hands. "You would be most surprised at the things one can discover about their teammates by scanning the Tower's photo surveillance system. I would like to point out that, even if you were to destroy this copy, I already have the original image loaded up and ready to post on my MySpace page, which I am quite certain would damage your reputation yes?" She stated simply her tone still friendly but also carrying an underlying edge to show that she meant business.

Raven would have liked nothing better then to rip the photo out of her friend's hands and burn it to a crisp, but as much as she hated to admit it she knew Starfire had her in a corner. "Okay okay! What are your demands?" She said her anxiety level through the roof, which would explain why it looked like a miniature fireworks display was going off around her head. "My demands are simple, you will take Friend Zeruge out and go into town for the day and be social. If you do this I will delete all copies of this photo and we shall never have to speak of its existence to the others. Those are my terms take it or leave it." Starfire explained folding her arms in front of her chest. Raven's face seemed to develop an odd facial tic for a few seconds before she finally sighed running her hand down her face and mumbling something under her breath. "Hmm? Care to say that a little louder friend Raven?" Starfire said a hand to her ear and an impish grin on her face was disturbingly reminiscent of Jinx. "I said…mumble mumble" The sorceress replied through her hand still not able to look the alien princess in the eyes. "Just a liiiiiitle louder please." By now Starfire was trying to hold back from giggling. "I SAID I'LL DO IT OKAY?!" Raven hollered her cheeks heating up even as she said it. The next thing she knew she was being strangled in a bear hug that threatened to rupture her lungs. "Oh joyous day! I knew you would make the right decision friend Raven I am so happy!" She gushed. "I'd…be happy too…if I could breathe." Raven wheezed.

Letting go of the poor sorceress Starfire put a finger to her chin in thought. "Hmm, now where you two should go for the day…do you have any places you go to have fun?" She asked. Raven's only response was a blank stare. "Um, okay, maybe I should rephrase that. Where do you go…where you don't feel as much of an outcast and danger to society?" "Not that that question is much more reassuring then the last, but there is a small café I go to sometimes at the mall to relax. I know the girl who runs the place." Raven said making another grab for the photo. "Then it is settled! You will take friend Zeruge to this café and engage in various social and possibly romantic activities for the day." Starfire said handing over the photo which Raven promptly tore into pieces, which she then ripped into even smaller pieces, which she then ate therefore ensuring that no evidence was left of that horrible, horrible crime against good taste. "Was that really necessary? I could have simply burned it with a starbolt." "True, but it wouldn't have been as reassuring." Was Raven's response. "I…see, well we should probably join the others so that you and friend Zeruge can get ready for your da-MMPH!" Raven had clasped her hand over the girl's mouth and was giving her a piercing look. "You're already forcing me to go against everything I know for out of blackmail, don't push it." She said a vein throbbing in her forehead.

When the girls returned to the kitchen Beast-Boy and Cyborg were settling their dispute over which breakfast Zeruge would find more appealing once and for all using a tried and true method. "BOO-YAH!! How does that RPG taste grass-stain?!" Cyborg taunted his fingers blurring over his controller as he and Beast-Boy went at it on a head to head first person shooter. "Its not fair! You picked the map where you memorized where all the best weapons!" Was the green-skinned teen's retort trying to dodge a hail of bullets courtesy of Cyborg's character while he fumbled for the reload button. "Its called 'strategy' little man, try it sometime and maybe we won't have to bail your little green butt out of trouble every time we fight evil." Cyborg gloated following after Beast-Boy. He was so caught up in his impending triumph he failed to notice the sneaky glint in the changeling's' eye as his character pulled out a mine whirling around and strapping it to the face of Cyborg's game avatar. "Ya mean like THIS?" Beast-Boy asked with mock innocence hiding behind a barrel and pressing the detonator trigger making Cyborg's character be blown to pieces the screen flashing the message 'PLAYER 2 WINS'. Cyborg just sat there his jaw moving soundlessly while Beast-Boy turned into a gorilla and started beating his chest and howling in victory. All the while Zeruge had simply leaned against the sofa behind them completely at a loss as to what was going on but finding the bright lights and sounds to be inexplicably entertaining.

"Let me guess, they've been at this since I left." Raven said masking her embarrassment about what she was about to go through with behind her normal deadpan expression. "Mmm-hmm, I think they've forgotten what it was they were fighting about at this point, judging by how easily they flip from one conflict to the next I'd say they do this a lot." "Like you wouldn't believe," Raven said fidgeting slightly before giving a sigh. "Say Zeruge? I was wondering if I could talk with you about something, ALONE." She added noticing Cyborg and Beast-Boy, now back to his normal self, peeking at them from over the top of the couch and bearing her teeth at them in what was definitely NOT a smile. The demon swordsmen merely nodded standing there for a moment before Raven realized he was waiting for her to show him where to go so they could talk. She jerked her head out the north door and led Zeruge out into the hallway all the while subconsciously wringing her hands together a great deal more nervous about this whole situation then she would have liked to admit.

The demon swordsman was, unsurprisingly, completely clueless to his master's anxiety following her like the obedient lackey that he had become so very good at being. "You wanted to talk to me about something Master Raven?" He asked looking at her curiously. Raven coughed into her hand looking down at her feet and taking a deep breath trying to steel herself and failing miserably. "W-w-well, I was ahem wondering if you…well that is if you wanted to, um, go...I dunno…out?" She managed to mumble having to struggle past every word wanting more and more to go hole up in her room for a while, like the rest of her life.

Zeruge just blinked and cocked his head to one side. "But weren't you out just now?" He asked. The sudden urge to smack the demon for his incredibly dense thinking almost overpowered Raven's embarrassment but she managed to reign herself in before she blew a hole in the wall. "Actually what I MEANT was if you wanted to, we could maybe, possibly, go out and see some of the city?" She said suddenly very grateful that nobody else was around to see her so outside of character. Hell's bells all that was missing was for her to be twisting her hair or have her pulse speed up and she'd look like just another shy schoolgirl asking the captain of the football team to the prom, granted a very pale and oddly dressed schoolgirl. "Oh? Hmm, I don't see any real reason why not Master Raven, I'd love to join you for a little trip. I'm very curious about this strange new world. Besides what little of the city I saw last night was somewhat marred by the incident with the metal monster." He said giving a slight chuckle.

Raven couldn't quite sort out the sudden feelings she was experiencing hearing that. She had been somewhat hoping the demon would turn her down yet at the same time was glad he hadn't. "Okay, but before we go anywhere I'd suggest that you get some new clothes." She suggested. Zeruge looked down at his black samurai armor, which was still dented, charred, and slightly smelly from last night's excitement and gave a small look of distress. "What's wrong with the way I dress? Your friend Cyborg wears armor in public and nobody seems to mind." He whined. Raven immediately rapped him on the forehead with her middle and index finger. "That's because he can't take his off, Cyborg's part metal now so he's allowed to go around looking like a promotional gimmick for an electronics store. YOU on the other hand can take your off and seeing as having an armored demon walking around town is likely to start a panic your going to have to accept the fact that you need to wear something that draws less attention to yourself got it?" She explained putting her hands on her hips.

Zeruge wisely chose to give up the fight then and there nodding. "Yes ma'am." "Good boy," Raven said reaching up and giving him a pat on the head that was half teasing and half affectionate. "Now there's a storage closet with spare clothes that we keep for guests and jobs that require disguises two doors down the hall to the right. You go and get changed while I do the same," She said watching the demon obediently head toward his newest destination and slumped her shoulders. "…Right after I go have a nervous breakdown."

FINALLY this chapter is finished! It wasn't easy as this was somewhat of another filler chapter in between the more entertaining moments in my story but dammit I'm not abandoning my loyal readers that easily. Here's hoping you all enjoyed this long overdue chapter, there are more in the works I assure you and as long as my fingers can move and my mind can, to at least some degree, function properly I will continue to work on my first and best fanfic yet no matter how long it takes. As always please read and review provided you still remember me over here and I will get to work on the next chapter which I promise will be posted MUCH sooner and will have far more action. Ta-ta for now!


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